BY  DOUGLAS 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 


LANTERN 

OF 


HUDSON  DOUGLA/ 

AUTHOR  OF 

A  MILLION  A  MINUTE 

ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 

HOWARD     CHANDLER 
CHRLTTY 


M 


NEW  M«  YORK 

WWATT  8  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT.  1909  BY 
W.  J.  WATT  &  COMPANY 

Publitfied  October 


Copyright  in  Great  Britain 

by 
HUDSON   DOUGLAS 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  WHY  OSWALD  INGERSOLL  RESIGNED  FROM  THE  BROOK- 
MERE  CLUB 9 

II.  WHAT  TOMMY  JUDSON  HAD  TO  SAY  ON  THE  SUBJECT    21 

III.  MRS.  MANNERING  AT  HOME 31 

IV.  MR.  GILDERSLEEVE  ABROAD 48 

V.  A  STERN  CHASE 61 

VI.  THE  FATE  OF  THE  FULMAR 73 

VII.  SALEH 88 

VIII.  A  FLIGHT  INTO  HIGH  FINANCE 102 

IX.  DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 113 

X.  THE  ANSWER  AMBRIZETTE  BROUGHT 125 

XI.  THE  DIPLOMACY  OF  THE  IRON  HAND 147 

XII.  CAPTAIN  DOVE  OF  THE  OLIVE  BRANCH 163 

XIII.  CHECK  —  AND  CHECKMATE 176 

XIV.  A  MASTERLY  MOVE 195 

XV.  PRESIDENT  CASADO'S  PLAN  OF  CAMPAIGN    ....  209 

XVI.  THE  BONA  ROBA 223 

XVII.  A  DEADLOCK 238 

XVIII.  THE  KEY  TO  THE  SITUATION 252 

XIX.  UNDER  THE  SEARCHLIGHT 262 

XX.  A  CASE  OF  CHAMPAGNE 272 

XXI.  NEMESIS 290 

XXII.  THREE  TO  ONE 302 

XXIII.  A  MAN  OF  METAL 316 

XXIV.  UNDER  A  RED  MOON 332 

XXV.  THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 352 


EPILOGUE  —  CHEZ  MAXIM 


368 


2135336 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 


THE   LANTERN  OF   LUCK 

CHAPTER  I 

WHY  OSWOLD  INGERSOLL  RESIGNED  FROM  THE 
BROOKMERE    CLUB 

"  "¥"  TT  ERE  they  come!"  said  Slyne,  in  a  tone 
suspiciously  like  relief,  and  the  other 
men  on  the  club  piazza  composed  their 
features  into  an  aspect  of  chastened  sympathy  as 
Oswold  Ingersoll  and  his  companion  of  the  after- 
noon cantered  out  into  the  sunshine  from  among  the 
shadows  of  the  tall  pines  that  border  the  beach 
at  Brookmere.  Few  of  his  less  nomadic  fellow- 
members  had  any  great  liking  for  the  too  cosmopol- 
itan Slyne,  and  most  of  them  were,  or,  at  any  rate, 
had  been,  Ingersoll's  very  good  friends. 

The  couple  approaching  the  gloom-ridden  group 
regarding  them  from  the  piazza  reined  their  impa- 
tient ponies  in  to  a  walk  and  Eileen  Saxilby  leaned 
forward  to  pat  her  restive  Arab's  arched  neck,  as 
they  crossed  the  hot,  white  high-road  that  leads 
past  the  ornate  avenue  entrance  of  the  Brookmere 
Club.  And  a  very  personable  couple  they  made  on 
the  spirited  mounts  they  were  sitting  with  such  in- 

9 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

souciant  ease.  The  girl,  faintly  flushed  after  a 
fast  gallop  along  the  sands  in  the  sun,  her  clear 
young  eyes  aglow  with  the  zest  of  life,  not  a  hair 
of  her  heavy  amber  tresses  displaced  by  the  bois- 
terous breeze  blowing  in  from  the  sea,  was  wearing 
a  habit  and  hat  which  became  her  amazingly.  Her 
escort,  degage  and  debonair  always,  afoot  or  in 
saddle,  was  brave  in  immaculate  breeches  and  boots, 
rough  tweed  coat  and  cap,  his  frank,  care-free  face, 
showing  still  more  tanned  over  the  snowy  texture  of 
his  hunting-scarf,  a  most  appropriate  foil  to  the  wild- 
rose  fairness  of  hers. 

The  two  of  them  were  patently  on  the  best  of 
terms  with  each  other.  They  rode  stirrup  to  girth 
while  they  talked  together,  glancing  into  each  oth- 
er's eyes.  The  echo  of  their  light  laughter  came 
down  the  wind  to  the  onlookers'  ears. 

"What  a  blow  it  will  be  to  him!  "  said  Jasper 
Slyne  suddenly.  And  no  one  could  contradict  that 
depressing  assertion. 

They  drew  up  before  the  steps.  A  dozen  assidu- 
ous arms  were  outstretched  to  Eileen  dismounting. 
But  she  slipped  to  the  ground  unaided  and  tripped 
off  indoors,  a  piquant,  provocative  picture,  with  a 
smile  and  nod  of  thanks  to  these  laggard  squires. 
The  last  of  her  was  a  trim  pair  of  spurless  heels. 

Ingersoll,  also  smiling  contentedly,  tossed  both 
pairs  of  reins  to  a  waiting  groom,  turned  into  the 

10 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

grateful  shade  of  the  pillared  porch  with  his  tantal- 
ized fellows,  and  settled  himself  comfortably  in  a 
most  capacious  chair,  to  while  away  an  hour  there 
among  the  idle  unemployed. 

But  a  prolonged  silence  ensued.  A  palpable  con- 
straint had  supplanted  the  cheery,  casual  chit-chat  of 
custom.  His  pipe  alight,  he  looked  about  him  sur- 
prisedly. 

Slyne  picked  up  a  pink  evening  paper  and  prof- 
fered it  to  him.  No  one  else  had  been  willing  to 
break  the  bad  news  it  contained.  The  others  stayed 
still,  ill  at  ease  and  concerned  on  his  account,  watch- 
ing him  covertly. 

"What's  the  matter?"  he  asked,  reluctantly  tak- 
ing the  sheet  in  his  hands.  He  would  have  pre- 
ferred explanation  of  their  somewhat  strange  be- 
havior from  one  of  themselves.  Slyne  had  but 
lately  become  a  member  of  the  Brookmere,  and  — 
he  did  not  care  for  Slyne:  who  laid  a  long,  slender, 
womanish  finger  upon  the  print.  Ingersoll,  follow- 
ing that  with  a  puzzled  frown,  caught  sight  of  the 
glaring  head-lines  it  pointed  out,  gave  vent  to  a  sin- 
gle, stricken  gasp  of  dismay,  and  read  with  horrified 
haste : 

BIG    STOCK-EXCHANGE  SCANDAL 
AYLWIN-INGERSOLL  SMASH 
PARTNER   TAKES    HIS  LIFE 

SERIOUS  DEFALCATIONS 
ii 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

A  four-in-hand  drag  came  clattering  up  the  drive 
and  stopped  at  the  porch  with  a  great  prancing  and 
jingle.  The  company  it  had  brought  to  Brookmere 
crossed  the  piazza,  in  a  gust  of  talk  and  laughter, 
scent  and  cigar-smoke,  the  women's  skirts  rustling 
stiffly  as  they  surged  through  the  swing-doors  with- 
out so  much  as  a  glance  at  the  grave-faced  group  on 
one  side.  Two  girls  with  golf-clubs  came  saunter- 
ing out,  and  played  off  in  turn  from  the  tee  on  the 
lawn  beyond  the  gravel  sweep  in  front  of  the 
clubhouse.  From  the  dock  at  the  water's  edge 
appeared  a  party  of  yachtsmen,  in  a  great  hurry 
for  high-balls.  As  they  tramped  in,  a  man  and  a 
masculine-looking  woman,  both  carrying  guns, 
emerged  and  made  off  toward  the  coverts  across  the 
links. 

Oswold  Ingersoll  noticed  none  of  these,  and  none 
of  them  noticed  him  where  he  sat  reading  through 
the  heavily  leaded  column  in  which  was  plainly  set 
forth  the  public  warrant  of  ruin  and  disgrace.  The 
print  seemed  to  stand  out  in  purple  relief  against  the 
pink  of  the  paper.  It  hurt  his  eyes.  His  lips  were 
compressed  and  pale.  The  tan  of  his  face  had 
turned  to  a  sickly  gray. 

Slyne  was  observing  him  closely.  The  rest  kept 
their  heads  averted,  sat  twirling  their  thumbs,  scowl- 
ing consciously,  wishing  themselves  anywhere  else, 
and  yet  unwilling  to  get  up  and  go.  For  most  of 

12 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

them  were,  or,  at  any  rate,  had  been,  Ingersoll's  very 
good  friends. 

He  lay  limply  back  in  his  chair,  and  the  news-sheet 
slipped  from  a  nerveless  hand.  One  rose  and  rang, 
bidding  the  prompt  waiter  bring  brandy-and-soda. 
The  silence  thus  broken,  his  neighbors  in  turn  found 
speech,  and  from  here  and  there  came  quick,  scrappy 
sentences  of  encouragement  or  condolence. 

At  the  sound  of  their  voices  Ingersoll  sat  up  again, 
very  straight,  shook  his  head,  blinking,  to  dispel  the 
dizziness  which  had  all  but  overmastered  him,  so 
cruelly  sudden  and  hurtful  had  the  blow  been.  Then 
he  set  his  jaw,  shakily,  and  so  came  to  time  for  the 
fight  fate  had  thus  forced  upon  him.  He  was  not 
to  be  counted  out  in  the  first  quick  round. 

"  I  thank  you,  no,"  he  said  with  careful  courtesy 
when  they  would  have  pressed  upon  him  the  brim- 
ming glass  the  waiter  had  brought  on  a  silver  tray. 
"I'll  need  all  my  wits  to  find  my  way  through  this 
tangle.  If  you  —  if  you'll  just  leave  me  alone  for 
a  little,  I'll  be  better  able  to  think  things  over." 

They  drew  back,  huffed,  some  of  them,  by  his  re- 
fusal of  such  first  aid,  and  presently  entered  into 
low-toned  conversation  among  themselves,  or  wan- 
dered away  on  aimless  errands,  glad  to  escape  the 
oppression  of  that  atmosphere.  More  than  one  of 
them  stood  to  lose  good  money  by  the  bad  business, 
but  that  did  not  cost  such  sufferers  much  more  than 

13 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

a  passing  thought.  The  members  of  the  Brook- 
mere  Club  were  all  wealthy  men,  and  Ingersoll  had 
been  no  more  than  a  silent  partner  in  the  unfortu- 
nate firm.  There  was  no  need  to  add  to  his  burden 
by  blaming  him.  The  real  culprit  had  closed  his 
earthly  account.  A  shocking  affair !  —  and  best  for- 
gotten. 

Ingersoll  picked  up  the  paper  again,  got  to  his 
feet  with  an  effort,  and  went  unsteadily  off  to  his 
room  in  the  bachelor  wing  of  the  big  club-buildings. 
And  there,  stunned  and  confused  as  he  was,  he  strove 
with  a  temptation  so  dire  that  he  had  scarcely 
strength  left  to  withstand  it.  But,  half  an  hour 
later,  he  reappeared,  more  composed  outwardly,  in 
a  suit  of  serge,  with  a  traveling-bag  in  one  hand. 

The  piazza,  seemed  to  be  empty,  but  he  espied 
Jasper  Slyne  in  a  corner,  consuming  a  pint  of  cham- 
pagne, and  crossed  toward  him.  He  had  a  sugges- 
tion to  make  to  Slyne  which  might  mean  money  in 
pocket,  and  he  could  no  longer  afford  to  let  his  private 
antipathies  interfere  with  his  purse. 

"  You're  leaving  us  already,  eh?  "  asked  that  lan- 
guid sybarite  with  a  great  assumption  of  sorrow. 
"  It's  deuced  rough  luck,  I  must  say,  to  be  left  in 
the  lurch  by  one's  partner  —  as  you  appear  to  have 
been.  But  these  are  hard  times  for  us  all,  aren't 
they!  I'm  out  a  good  many  thousands  myself 
through  that  rascal  Aylwin." 

14 


Such  a  speech  made  it  harder  still  for  Ingersoll 
to  say  what  he  had  intended,  but  —  he  could  not 
well  draw  back  now. 

"  You  asked  me  not  long  ago  to  put  a  price  on 
my  ponies,"  he  answered  concisely.  "  Are  you  still 
inclined  to  buy  them?" 

Jasper  Slyne's  eyes  showed  sudden  interest,  but 
he  let  their  lids  fall  and  shrugged  his  carefully 
padded,  flannel-clad  shoulders  indifferently. 

"  These  are  hard  times  for  us  all,"  he  repeated, 
"  but  —  I  shouldn't  mind  having  the  bay  mare  that 
Eileen  Saxilby  was  riding."  His  tone  was  that  of 
one  lightly  granting  a  favor  asked. 

In  his  own  room  Ingersoll  had  been  schooling 
himself  to  shoulder  his  heavy  burden  without  show- 
ing how  much  it  galled,  but  the  hot  blood  darkened 
his  brow  as  he  returned  stiffly:  "The  stud  is  for 
sale  as  it  stands,  not  singly.  I'll  take  four  thousand 
for  it." 

"  Shall  I  write  you  a  cheque  —  now  ?  "  Slyne  in- 
quired, with  grandiose  unconcern,  but  making  no 
movement,  "or  .  .  ." 

He  paused  significantly,  and  Ingersoll  had  hard 
work  to  keep  down  his  temper.  Three  times,  in  as 
many  apparently  neutral  remarks,  had:  he  found 
cause  of  offense. 

"  I'll  debit  your  account  in  my  firm's  books  with 
that  amount,"  he  replied,  "  since  it  seems  that  we 


owe  you  money.  And  you'll  get  my  cheque  in  a  day 
or  two  for  any  balance  that  may  be  due  you." 
Wherewith,  and  no  better  off  than  he  had  been,  he 
turned  his  back  on  the  other,  who  looked  after  him 
with  a  coldly  contemptuous  half-smile  as  he  strode 
into  the  hall. 

Thence  he  telephoned  to  the  stables  regarding  the 
change  of  ownership  in  his  renowned  polo-string, 
and,  that  pang  also  endured,  settled  his  house-ac- 
count at  the  office,  wrote  out  his  resignation  of  mem- 
bership, and  lingered  in  the  lounge,  uncomfortably 
conscious  now  that  he  was  the  object  of  much  low- 
toned  comment  on  the  part  of  its  other  inmates,  till 
Eileen  Saxilby  came  downstairs  dressed  for  driving. 
He  knew  that  she  was  going  to  meet  her  guardian 
at  the  station,  and  had  a  good  deal  to  say  to  her  be- 
fore she  should  see  that  gentleman. 

"Will  you  give  me  a  lift?"  he  asked  with  as- 
sumed nonchalance,  but  she  knew  instinctively  that 
there  was  something  wrong  and  nodded  quick  acqui- 
escence without  a  word.  They  went  on  together, 
regardless  of  the  inquisitive  glances  that  followed 
them. 

Slyne,  in  his  corner,  rose  and  bowed  as  they 
crossed  the  piazza,  but  neither  noticed  his  move- 
ment. And  he  was  still  watching  them  with  enig- 
matic eyes  when  they  drove  off  in  Eileen's  smart  dog- 
cart. 

16 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  I  hate  that  man,"  said  she,  looking  back  on 
their  way  down  the  avenue  and  so  catching  sight  of 
him  where  he  stood  staring  after  them,  a  smart  and 
elegant  figure,  with  a  face  to  match.  Jasper  Slyne 
was  young  enough  yet,  in  spite  of  the  crowsfeet 
about  his  eyes,  well-favored,  reputedly  very  rich. 
Not  many  women  would  have  found  him  an  object 
of  hatred. 

"  So  do  I,"  assented  Ingersoll,  as  she  turned  her 
roadster  on  to  the  level  highway.  "  But  never  mind 
that  just  now.  I've  something  of  much  more  im- 
portance to  tell  you.  My  business  affairs  have  all 
gone  to  smash  —  I've  just  got  the  news.  I'm  ru- 
ined, Nell.  I  —  I'm  a  pauper.  I  must  give  you 
back  the  promise  you  made  me  this  afternoon." 

For  a  space  there  was  nothing  audible  save  the 
clickity-click  of  the  horse's  hoofs.  Oswold  Inger- 
soll had  set  his  teeth,  was  holding  his  breath.  The 
girl,  bewildered  by  the  abruptness  of  his  strange 
statement,  was  striving  to  understand.  When  she 
at  length  spoke  it  was  in  a  low  and  tender  tone, 
with  a  thrill  to  it  which  set  his  heart  thumping 
wildly. 

"  That  doesn't  make  any  difference,  dear,"  she 
said,  "  since  it's  you  I  care  for  —  and  nothing  else." 

The  good  roadster  pricked  up  his  ears  and  slack- 
ened his  pace,  as  he  felt  the  reins  tighten  ever  so 
slightly.  His  driver  also  was  under  constraint,  close 

17 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

clasped  in  the  arms  of  the  young  man  who  had  been 
sitting  so  quietly  beside  her. 

"  It  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  world,"  Inger- 
soll  was  saying,  his  words  ringing  strangely  hollow 
in  his  own  ears,  "  and  you  must  take  back  your 
promise,  Nell.  It's  terribly  hard  to  have  to  say  so, 
but  —  I  can't  marry  you  now.  You  must  let  me 
go  my  own  way,  alone,  sweetheart.  Because  that's 
going  to  be  too  rough  to  take  you  along." 

She  stared  into  his  clouded  eyes  for  a  breathless 
moment,  and  the  quick  fear  faded  out  of  her  own. 
Had  it  been  for  his  own  sake,  she  would  have  let  him 
go  without  more  words.  But  it  was  for  hers  he 
was  willing  to  sacrifice  his  share  in  that  fair  future 
they  had  mapped  out  together,  and,  though  she  was 
little  more  than  a  child  in  years,  she  had  in  her  shapely 
head  no  small  share  of  woman's  wisdom. 

'  You  shall  go  where  you  choose,  dear,"  she  an- 
swered swiftly,  her  face  very  resolute,  "  and  —  if 
you  won't  take  me  with  you,  I'll  follow  you.  I'll 
follow  you,  whether  the  way  be  rough  or  smooth." 

He  saw  then  that  she  was  not  to  be  turned  from 
her  purpose.  He  knew  that  she  would  not  fail 
him,  befall  what  might.  And  it  would  have  be- 
come him  very  ill  to  betray  the  trust  she  reposed 
in  him.  He  clasped  her  close  in  his  arms  again, 
and  she  nestled  there,  satisfied. 

The  reins  fell  loose  on  the  roadster's  neck  while 
18 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

she  listened  to  the  tragic  story  there  was  still  to  tell. 
There  were  tears  in  her  eyes  before  it  was  finished; 
swift  tears  of  pity  for  the  transgressor  and  in  her 
heart  a  dumb  prayer  of  intercession  for  him  who 
needed  it  most.  She  had  no  questions  to  ask,  no 
comment  to  offer,  no  least  word  of  blame  to  bestow, 
and  Ingersoll,  grown  old  enough  in  an  hour  to  know 
that  he  need  judge  none  but  himself,  found  added 
comfort  in  her  compassionate  silence.  The  scented 
peace  of  the  pinewoods  and  her  quiet  company  made 
heaven  enough  for  him. 

When  at  last  and  very  reluctantly  they  stopped  at 
the  station,  he  stayed  beside  her  until  the  express 
from  town  steamed  in  and  through  the  throng  which 
alighted  from  it  there  came  toward  them  a  lean, 
gray-haired,  elderly  man,  of  a  shuffling  gait,  who 
glanced  uncertainly  about  him  as  he  advanced. 
There  were  other  conveyances  waiting  their  home- 
comers  in  the  cool,  sun-streaked  quadrangle  beneath 
the  branches.  It  rang  with  gay  greetings  as  each  of 
the  travelers  found  his  own  folks  and  was  volubly 
welcomed.  But  the  lean,  gray-haired  man  had  no 
word  of  cheer  to  exchange  with  his  neighbors.  He 
nodded  to  none,  kept  his  thin,  straight  lips  closely 
shut. 

"  Mr.  Gildersleeve's  in  a  grumpy  mood,"  said  In- 
gersoll, easily  enough,  and  got  down.  He  took  his 
bag  from  the  back  of  the  cart,  set  it  aside,  and  held 

19 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

out  his  hand  as  the  other  approached.  But  that  indi- 
vidual did  not  appear  to  have  seen  either  it  or  its 
owner.  He  passed  at  a  spurt,  clambered  awkwardly 
into  the  dog-cart,  and,  opening  his  mouth  as  if  with 
an  effort,  abruptly  bade  Eileen  drive  off. 

"  Good-bye,  Oswold,"  she  called  back  bravely,  and, 
waving  adieu  with  her  whip-hand  to  that  discomfited 
youth,  was  soon  out  of  sight  with  her  very  ungracious 
guardian. 

Ingersoll  stood  where  he  was  for  a  moment,  his 
face  flushed  with  anger  at  the  public  slight  put  upon 
him  by  the  one  man  with  whom,  among  all  his  former 
friends,  he  was  anxious  to  remain  on  intimate  terms. 
Then  he  caught  one  or  two  of  the  onlookers  eying 
him  with  undue  interest,  recalled  the  cause  that  there 
was  for  eschewing  acquaintance  with  him,  picked  his 
bag  up,  and  made  for  the  far  end  of  the  long  plat- 
form, where  he  stayed  till  his  own  tardy  train  came 
through  —  by  which  time,  being  blessed  with  abun- 
dant philosophy,  he  had  almost,  if  not  quite  recovered 
his  temper. 

"  But  I  have  a  pretty  poor  hand  to  play,"  he 
muttered  ruefully  to  himself,  "  if  that's  the  sort  of 
game  Eustace  Gildersleeve's  going  to  put  up." 


20 


CHAPTER  II 

WHAT  TOMMY  JUDSON  HAD  TO  SAY  ON  THE  SUBJECT 

THE  trip  from  Brookmere  to  Long  Island 
City,  in  a  slow  train  consisting  chiefly  of 
freight-cars  and  on  a  still,  hot  summer  even- 
ing, is  not  one  to  be  undertaken  for  pleasure.     To 
Oswold  Ingersoll,  on  that  occasion,  and  in  such  a 
frame  of  mind,  it  furnished  a  foretaste  of  all  those 
petty  miseries  which  the  immediate  future  had  no 
doubt  in  plentiful  store  for  him. 

He  had  with  difficulty  found  a  seat,  beside  an  Ital- 
ian laborer  breathing  garlic,  in  one  of  the  two  swel- 
tering, over-crowded  passenger-cars  at  the  end  of  the 
train,  and  spent  his  time  throughout  the  long,  jolt- 
ing, dusty  journey  with  its  constant  stops  and  switch- 
ings, in  penciling  endless  calculations  on  the  margins 
of  the  evening  paper  he  had  brought  with  him. 
These  could  do  nothing,  however,  to  console  him  for 
other  discomforts,  since  they  merely  went  to  show 
how  much  it  would  probably  cost  him  to  clear  him- 
self of  complicity  in  his  dead  partner's  misdoings. 

For,  that  he  must  clear  himself,  and  at  whatever 
cost,  he  had  made  up  his  mind  after  a  sick  struggle 

21 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

with  the  almost  overwhelming  temptation  to  stick  to 
his  cash  and  let  his  credit  go  hang.  But  not  even 
the  heartrending  fear  that  in  beggaring  himself  for 
a  sentiment  he  might  be  held  to  have  forfeited  the 
promise  Eileen  had  made  him  that  afternoon  had 
been  sufficient  to  overcome  the  very  scrupulous  sense 
of  honor  which  had  impelled  him  to  a  decision  so 
desperate.  Happen  what  might,  he  would  hold  out 
none  but  clean  hands  to  her. 

On  the  Street,  the  name  of  Oswold  Kilborne  Inger- 
soll  had  always  been  a  synonym  for  honesty  unswerv- 
ing and  incorruptible.  That  name  had  been  his  fath- 
er's and  his  grandfather's  before  it  had  descended 
to  him,  and  he,  the  last  of  the  line,  lightly  esteemed 
in  the  hive  of  business  as  a  mere  drone,  felt  irresist- 
ibly called  upon  now  to  prove  that  it  was  not  to  be 
attainted  in  any  degree  through  him. 

It  might  be,  too,  he  told  himself,  that  he  was 
partly  to  blame  because  Aylwin,  left  to  his  own  de- 
vices during  the  recent  financial  crisis,  had  gone  so 
far  astray.  And,  in  any  case,  since  he  himself  had 
been  content  to  accept  without  question  his  share  of 
the  firm's  fat  profits  in  its  more  prosperous  days,  he 
would  not  shirk  his  moral  responsibility  now,  not  even 
although  there  were  plenty  of  legal  loopholes  through 
one  or  another  of  which  he  might  dodge  its  creditors. 

It  was  only  when  he  thought  of  Eileen  again  that 
his  courage  failed  him  a  little.  And,  trundling  nois- 

22 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ily,  in  the  waning  light,  through  the  gray,  gaunt  wil- 
derness of  unkempt  buildings  which  creeps  out  coun- 
tryward  from  the  city,  a  sudden  dread,  bred  of  that 
dreary  outlook,  plucked  at  his  heart. 

But  the  lights  and  life  and  bustle  of  the  busy  ter- 
minus restored  in  some  degree  his  ebbing  self-confi- 
dence. And  he  remembered,  most  opportunely,  how 
resolutely  Eileen  had  overruled  his  tentative  sugges- 
tion that  their  newly-made  understanding  should  be 
annulled.  He  recalled  her  instant,  spontaneous  as- 
sent to  the  course  of  conduct  he  had,  however  un- 
willingly, laid  down  for  himself.  For  her  sake  he 
must  —  he  would  —  retrieve,  and  that  by  dint  of 
his  own  exertions,  all  he  was  giving  up  now.  He 
shouldered  his  way  through  the  throng  to  the  ferry, 
and,  looking  across  the  black  water  at  the  bright 
lights  on  the  other  shore,  took  them  for  an  augury, 
and  was  no  longer  afraid  of  the  future. 

Arrived  in  Manhattan,  an  unaccustomed  econ- 
omy led  him  to  travel  to  his  immediate  destination 
by  surface-car  instead  of  taking  a  cab.  The  city 
seemed  most  unpleasantly  close  and  malodorous 
after  the  crisp,  clean  sea-breezes  of  Brookmere.  But 
Brookmere  and  all  that  membership  in  its  exclusive 
coterie  meant  were  things  of  the  past  in  so  far  as  he 
was  concerned.  He  clung  uncomplainingly  to  his 
strap  in  the  close-packed  trolley,  till  it  stopped  be- 
fore a  squat,  dingy  building  in  East  Twenty-third 

23 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Street,  not  very  far  from  Madison  Square.  It  was 
there  rather  than  in  any  more  fashionable  locality  that 
he,  in  his  fallen  fortunes,  was  minded  to  seek  out  a 
friend  whom  he  might  trust  at  such  a  pinch  as  the 
present.  He  would  have  no  more  to  do  in  the  mean- 
time with  the  lavish  luxury  of  his  old  quarters  up- 
town. Nor  was  he  in  a  mood  to  accept  any  favor 
from  a  possible  good  Samaritan  of  his  former  set 
on  Fifth  Avenue.  The  slight  he  had  suffered  at 
Eustace  Gildersleeve's  hands  was  still  rankling  in  his 
memory. 

With  his  bag  in  one  hand  he  toiled  up  three  flights 
of  very  steep  wooden  stairs,  stopping  at  the  top  be- 
fore a  low  door  on  which  was  displayed  an  ex- 
tremely small  card  bearing  the  brief  statement:  T. 
Judson  —  Studio.  A  kick  or  two  on  the  lower  panel 
brought  that  individual  forth  in  perspiring  displeas- 
ure, but,  when  he  saw  who  his  unceremonious  caller 
was,  his  face  first  cleared  and  then  fell  again. 

"  This  is  a  bad  business,  O.  K.,"  he  remarked  with- 
out other  greeting,  and  led  the  way  into  a  long,  lit- 
tered, untidy  room,  dimly  lit  in  the  dusk  by  a  dusty 
skylight.  "Where  are  you  bound  for?"  he  de- 
manded, catching  sight  of  his  visitor's  bag. 

"  No  further  than  here  at  present,"  returned  In- 
gersoll,  and  hung  his  hat  on  an  easel.  "  I'd  like  to 
put  up  with  you  for  a  day  or  two,  if  you'll  let  me, 
Tommy?  " 

24 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  You  know  well  enough  that  you're  welcome,  con- 
found you !  "  said  Tommy  Judson  with  sudden  fierce- 
ness. "  Had  supper?  You're  just  in  time  for  some 
bacon  an'  beans."  And  he  turned  back  toward  his 
kitchen,  a  couple  of  gas-jets  set  insecurely  on  a  deal 
box  containing  clean  linen  and  dirty  boots,  with  a 
tattered  newspaper  in  between;  an  arrangement  ex- 
actly typical  of  his  temperament. 

;t  There's  a  lot  of  solid  comfort  to  be  had  for  next 
to  nothing  in  this  vale  of  tears,"  he  was  wont  to  ob- 
serve when  he  could  spare  a  moment  for  moralizing, 
"  if  you're  only  content  to  take  things  as  they  come. 
And  it  doesn't  pay  to  be  too  particular  about 
trifles." 

His  costume  also  was  strictly  in  keeping  with  such 
sentiments.  He  was  lightly  clad  in  pyjamas,  san- 
dals, a  scarlet  guernsey  with  the  name  "  Fulmar  " 
embroidered  across  its  breast,  and  a  cotton  bath-robe. 
The  bluish  glow  of  the  gas-jets  he  was  stooping  over 
lit  up  a  face  of  surpassing  ugliness  and  yet  one 
strangely  attractive,  strong  to  audacity,  good-hu- 
mored, whimsical,  under  a  touseled  shock  of  hair, 
which  shone  like  dark,  burnished  copper.  He  was 
of  medium  height  and  stockily  built,  but  lithe  and 
active  in  all  his  movements. 

"  A  rotten  bad  business,  O.  K. !  "  he  repeated  so- 
berly, as  he  stirred  the  beans  to  and  fro  with  a  two- 
pronged  fork  while  the  fragrant  bacon  was  sizzling 

25 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

beneath  them.  :'  What  are  you  going  to  do  about 
it,  hey?" 

"  I'm  going  to  see  things  square,  Tommy,"  In- 
gersoll  answered,  seating  himself  very  cautiously  on 
the  edge  of  a  ricketty  cot.  "  I'm  not  sure  yet  that 
I'll  have  enough  right  away  to  go  round  —  the  fig- 
ures the  papers  give  make  it  rather  more  than  I'm 
worth  altogether  —  but,  if  I  haven't,  I'll  get  the  bal- 
ance together  in  time." 

Tommy  Judson  nodded  approval  of  that,  to  him 
the  most  natural  course  in  the  circumstances.  The 
magnitude  of  the  sacrifice  Ingersoll  was  willing  to 
make  called  forth  no  comment  on  his  part,  since  his 
own  instincts  also  told  him  that  it  was  imperative. 

'  There's  close  on  a  century  in  the  coffee-canister 
there,"  he  remarked  carelessly,  indicating  with  an 
uplifted  elbow  his  primitive  safe-deposit.  "  Help 
yourself  to  what  you  require  if  you  run  short  of 
small  change  —  and  pass  me  one  of  those  plates  if 
you  want  any  beans.  Better  give  it  a  rub  down  first, 
or,  here  —  eat  'em  out  of  the  pan,  if  you're  so  horrid 
particular." 

He  would  fain  have  evaded  all  acknowledgment  of 
his  most  generous  offer,  but  Ingersoll  had  risen  and 
was  regarding  him  with  a  grave  good-will. 

"  I've  a  poor  enough  hand  to  play,  Tommy,"  he 
said  simply,  "  but  you're  certainly  a  trump,  my  son !  " 

"  '  Life  ain't  in  holding  a  good  hand,  but  in  play- 
26 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ing  a  pore  hand  well,' '  Tommy  quoted  gravely. 
"  There's  beer  on  ice  in  that  bucket  beneath  the 
piano.  Help  yourself  to  that,  too." 

He  passed  the  frying-pan  to  his  friend,  perched 
himself  with  his  own  plate  upon  the  ice-box  contain- 
ing his  coal-supply,  and  both  partook  with  solemn  ap- 
preciation of  the  homely  fare  thus  provided.  Tommy 
Judson  was  no  mean  cook;  the  bacon  and  beans  were 
worthy  of  a  French  chef.  There  was  also  bread  in 
a  band-box,  and  the  beer  was  excellent. 

Supper  over,  they  lit  their  pipes  and  took  deep 
thought  for  a  time,  Ingersoll,  the  ultra-fastidious  so- 
ciety man,  as  much  at  his  ease  in  the  shabby  studio 
as  though  it  had  been  some  millionaire's  picture-gal- 
lery, Tommy  Judson  disreputably  content,  with  no 
backward  longings  after  his  more  affluent  days. 

Ingersoll  and  he  had  been  college  chums  before 
his  own  family  fortunes  had  suffered  eclipse  and  he 
had  come  to  New  York  alone  to  make  his  way  in  the 
world.  They  had  moved  in  widely  different  circles 
since  then,  and  Tommy,  the  struggling  artist,  had  al- 
ways obstinately  refused  to  avail  himself  of  the  en- 
tree into  those  which  the  other  frequented.  It  had 
therefore  fallen  to  Ingersoll  to  keep  their  old 
friendship  alive,  and  he  had  not  failed  to  do  so:  to 
such  good  effect  that  they  had  remained  on  terms  of 
the  closest  amity.  There  was  no  one  else  in  the 
world,  after  Eileen  herself,  to  whom  Ingersoll  would 

27 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

so  readily  have  turned  for  sympathy  and  encourage- 
ment in  such  a  crisis  as  he  was  confronting  now. 

"  How  did  Aylwin  get  into  such  deep  water?  " 
asked  Tommy,  puffing  at  a  corn-cob,  and  Ingersoll 
sighed. 

"  South  Americans,"  he  answered  succinctly. 
"  There's  been  some  sort  of  a  boom  on  in  Nica- 
zuela,  and  he'd  been  bulling  their  bonds  till  he  had  a 
heavier  load  on  his  shoulders  than  he  could  carry. 
Then  that  infernal  fellow  Casado,  the  Nicazuelan 
President,  got  into  another  row,  with  Portugal  this 
time,  and,  on  the  head  of  that,  lost  the  big  German 
loan  everyone  had  been  building  on.  And  the  slump 
of  course  smashed  poor  old  Aylwin.  I  wish  he  had 
told  me  in  time,  but  —  I've  never  done  a  day's  busi- 
ness in  my  life,  and  I  suppose  he  thought  I'd  be  more 
hindrance  than  help.  So  I've  got  to  run  the  show 
to  a  finish  myself  now." 

"  You're  not  going  to  carry  on  the  business,  are 
you?" 

"  I  couldn't,  even  if  I  wanted  to.  I'd  be  no  use 
in  the  Street.  No,  all  I  can  attempt  is  to  wind  it  up 
to  the  tune  of  a  hundred  cents  on  the  dollar.  And, 
after  that's  done,  I  must  find  some  other  way  to  earn 
an  income.  I'd  be  no  use  at  all  in  the  Street." 

He  shook  his  head,  and  sighed  gain.  Tommy 
Judson  made  no  further  remark. 

"  Will  you  come  with  me  to  the  Mannering  dance 
28 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

to-morrow  night,  Tommy?  "  Ingersoll  asked  after  an 
interval  during  which  his  own  thoughts  had  reverted 
to  a  matter  of  still  more  immediate  and  pressing  im- 
portance. "  I  wish  you  would.  I  have  two  cards, 
and  —  I  wouldn't  worry  you  to  go  if  I  hadn't  a  good 
reason." 

Tommy  Judson  drummed  impatiently  with  his 
heels  on  the  door  of  the  ice-box.  A  shadow  flitted 
across  his  unhandsome  face. 

"  Will  Eileen  Saxilby  be  there?  "  he  demanded, 
and  Ingersoll  nodded. 

''What's  the  use  of  pursuing  the  subject?"  his 
host  inquired  with  an  air  of  great  weariness.  "  Why 
can't  you  let  the  girl  alone,  since  she's  turned  you 
down?" 

"  I  will  —  when  she  does,"  said  Ingersoll  some- 
what surprisedly. 

Tommy  stared  at  him  for  a  moment,  got  down 
from  his  perch  and  possessed  himself  of  the  crumpled 
paper  the  other  had  laid  upon  the  piano.  He 
turned  a  page  or  two  over  until  he  came  to  a  para- 
graph he  had  first  seen  at  the  free-lunch  counter 
where  he  had  made  his  mid-day  meal. 

''What's  the  meaning  of  this  then?"  he  ques- 
tioned abruptly,  and  pointed  to  where,  in  unpleasant 
juxtaposition  with  those  of  a  murderer  and  his  vic- 
tim, two  photographs  had  been  reproduced.  They 
were  portraits  of  Eileen  Saxilby,  the  young  heiress, 

29 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

and  Jasper  Slyne,  the  lately  unearthed  millionaire. 
A  few  lines  underneath  announced  their  engagement, 
and  added  the  information  that  their  wedding  would 
take  place,  privately,  at  a  very  early  date,  to  suit  the 
convenience  of  the  prospect  bridegroom,  whose  busi- 
ness interests  called  him  abroad. 

Ingersoll  snatched  the  sheet  from  him,  and  read 
the  paragraph  through  with  bewildered  haste. 
Then  he  tossed  it  aside  with  a  contemptuous  laugh, 
but  one  which  had  little  of  mirth  in  it,  and  his  color 
was  higher  than  usual. 

"  So  Slyne  had  a  spare  card  up  his  sleeve  when  he 
presented  me  with  that  paper,"  he  said.  "  He  and 
Gildersleeve  together  will  make  a  pretty  tough  pair 
to  tackle  without  a  penny  1  You  must  go  with  me 
to-morrow  night,  Tommy.  D'ye  hear?  " 

"  All  right,"  returned  Tommy  Judson  disconso- 
lately. "  I'll  go,  if  I've  got  to.  But  tell  me  one 
thing,  O.  K.  I  know  a  good  deal  about  that  old 
money-grub  Gildersleeve,  but  —  who  the  devil  is 
Slyne?" 

Ingersoll  sat  down  again,  and  the  frown  on  his  face 
grew  darker. 

"  That's  just  what  everyone  has  been  asking,"  he 
said  vexedly,  "  but  nobody  seems  to  know." 


CHAPTER  III 

MRS.   MANNERING  AT   HOME 

"It    ylTISTHER    INGERSOLL,"    announced 
I  \/  I        a  resplendent  footman,  in  his  most  so- 
norous voice,  and  yet  one  with  an  in- 
flection of  warm  sympathy  in  it,  "  an'  Misther  Jud- 
son." 

The  last  name  he  spoke  with  official  indifference. 
Its  bearer  was  quite  unknown  to  him,  needed  no  con- 
dolence of  his  on  the  score  of  adversity  unexpected 
and  undeserved.  But  he  had  been  pained  to  learn 
from  his  morning-evening  paper  that  Ingersoll,  his 
most  liberal  patron,  had  lately  fallen  on  evil  days, 
had  acted  with  rash  improvidence  on  the  spur  of  the 
moment.  And,  although  that  would  probably  mean 
a  curtailment  of  tips,  Tim  Finucane,  the  footman 
aforesaid,  would  have  scorned  to  give  an  old  ac- 
quaintance the  go-by  because  of  any  temporary  finan- 
cial embarrassment.  These  Americans  had  such  a 
habit,  too,  of  promptly  remaking  lost  fortunes  that  it 
would  no  doubt  pay  a  philosophical  Irishman  hand- 
somely in  the  end  to  display  a  consistent  and  equable 
cordiality.  And  while  he  was  communing  thus  with 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

himself,  the  two  young  men  he  had  ushered  into  the 
rapidly  filling  reception-room  were  bowing  before 
their  hostess,  a  tall,  thin,  faded  woman,  of  carefully 
upper-class  bearing  and  blond  complexion,  well  be^ 
yond  middle  age. 

Mrs.  Mannering  was  At  Home  in  honor  of  a  Eu- 
ropean personage  who  had  been  so  inconsiderate  as 
to  arrive  in  New  York  during  the  off-season  and  could 
by  no  means  be  induced  to  forsake  the  lures  of  the 
city  for  the  more  simple  pleasures  of  country  life. 
Wherefore  it  had  fallen  to  her,  an  acknowledged 
leader  in  solid  New  York  society,  to  open  up  her  big 
town  house  and  bid  her  friends  together  there  for 
his  entertainment.  From  far  and  near,  from  New- 
port or  Wall  Street,  they  had  responded  to  the  trum- 
pet call  of  duty.  A  brilliant  and  representative  gath- 
ering of  wealth  and  beauty  had  flocked  to  her  costly 
standard  of  cloth-of-gold. 

At  the  sound  of  Ingersoll's  name  there  occurred  a 
perceptible  lull  in  the  babel  of  conversation  that 
had  filled  the  long  antechamber  where  her  guests 
were  greeting  each  other  before  passing  through  to 
the  ball-room  beyond,  whence  the  strings  were  al- 
ready throbbing  invitingly.  Nearly  all  of  the  men 
and  women  present  had  known  Oswold  Ingersoll  in 
his  prosperity.  They  were  fain  to  see  how  he  would 
fare  as  a  pauper,  how  the  worldly-wise  Mrs.  Man- 
nering would  receive  a  friend  in  such  case,  what 

32 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

would  occur  when  he  should  meet  Eileen  Saxilby, 
who  had  so  soon  consoled  herself  for  the  loss  of  his 
no  longer  eligible  attentions. 

The  news  of  his  quixotic  self-sacrifice  was  already 
in  everyone's  mouth.  Within  four-and-twenty 
hours  of  Aylwin  C5?  Ingersoll's  failure  he  had  stripped 
himself  of  his  private  fortune  to  its  last  penny  in 
order  to  settle  the  liabilities  left  him  by  a  dead  man. 
A  freakish  determination  to  free  himself  from  the 
taint  of  commercial  crime,  with  which  no  one  would 
ever  have  dreamed  of  charging  him,  had  left  him 
denuded  of  all  save  his  honor  and  self-respect.  A 
man  cannot  live  on  either  of  these  intangible  assets. 

"  It  was  like  his  cheek  to  show  up  here  at  all," 
said  some  of  those  men  who  would  never  have  paid 
any  such  ridiculous  price  to  keep  their  names  clean. 
Others  had  formed  no  very  definite  opinion  yet,  were 
awaiting  the  trend  of  events.  Most  of  the  women 
were  sorry  for  him:  since  women  are  apt  to  be  soft 
of  heart.  But  —  they  were  one  and  all  content  to 
leave  it  to  Mrs.  Mannering  to  decide  what  stand  they 
must  take  in  the  matter.  One  must  take  up  a  stand 
of  some  sort  when  an  acquaintance,  otherwise  quite 
desirable,  is  suddenly  bereft  of  his  banker's  support; 
and  Oswold  Ingersoll  had  been  one  of  her  most  fre- 
quent and  favored  visitors  while  Eileen  Saxilby  had 
been  staying  with  her. 

Mrs.  Mannering  had  already  made  up  her  mind 
33 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

on  that  point,  or,  rather,  she  thought  she  had.  It 
had  really  been  made  up  for  her  by  a  long  letter  she 
had  that  morning  received  from  her  brother  Eustace, 
who  managed  all  her  affairs.  It  was  most  unfortu- 
nate, she  had  concluded,  that  she  should  have  sent 
Mr.  Ingersoll  cards  for  her  dance  before  it  was 
known  that  he  was  not  financially  fit  to  associate  with 
the  others :  and  still  more  so,  as  it  now  appeared,  since 
he  had  thought  right  not  only  to  avail  himself  of  her 
unsuspecting  hospitality  but  also  to  intrude  on  her 
notice  an  individual  whom  she  could  not,  even  with 
the  aid  of  her  lorgnette,  identify  as  one  of  that 
exclusive  set  whereof  she  herself  was  such  an  or- 
thodox orpament.  She  would  play  her  part  as  she 
ought. 

She  acknowledged  Ingersoll's  bow  with  a  frozen 
courtesy,  treated  Tommy  Judson  to  a  contemptuous 
stare,  and,  these  formalities  over,  turned  a  sharp 
shoulder  on  both. 

The  two  thus  grudgingly  made  free  of  her  estab- 
lishment, for  the  time  being,  passed  onward  with 
unreadable  faces  and  brought  up  together,  a  little 
apart  from  the  throng,  within  an  alcove  flanked  by 
two  massive  marble  pillars.  On  their  way  thither 
they  had  not  experienced  any  effusion  of  welcome 
from  those  with  whom  Ingersoll,  at  any  rate,  had 
recently  been  on  the  most  familiar  terms.  Tommy 
Judson's  uncomely  countenance  wore  a  genial  grin  as 

34 


EEN    SAXILBY    HAD    ENTERED 
FHE    ROOM    ON    HER  GUAR- 
DIAN'S   ARM 


jw.ir 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

he  turned  to  his  friend  and  sponsor  in  that  very  select 
assemblage. 

"  A  cold-storage  chamber,  eh,  O.  K. !  "  he  re- 
marked, and  Ingersoll,  catching  his  eye,  also  smiled, 
a  little  constrainedly. 

"  I  told  you  what  it  would  be,"  he  replied. 
;'  They  are  a  moneyed  crowd  and  afraid  of  beggars. 
But  hard  looks  break  no  bones,  as  you've  often  told 
me,  Tommy,  and  we'll  get  away  just  as  soon  as. 
.  .  .  Ah!  Here  she  is." 

Eileen  Saxilby  had  entered  the  room,  on  her  guar- 
dian's arm.  In  her  silken  gown,  with  her  slim,  bare 
arms  and  daintily  molded  shoulders  of  a  young  girl, 
she  looked  still  more  demurely  attractive  than  when 
he  had  last  seen  her.  Her  fresh  and  unaided  beauty 
made  Eustace  Gildersleeve  seem  older  and  meaner  in 
evening  dress.  Behind  them,  and  wearing  an  air.  of 
prospective  ownership  that  made  Ingersoll's  blood 
boil,  walked  Jasper  Slyne,  a  smart  and  elegant  figure, 
conspicuous  even  without  the  broad  crimson  sash  he 
wore  at  his  breast,  which,  it  was  understood,  per- 
tained to  some  foreign  order  of  merit  bestowed  on 
him  in  the  course  of  his  cosmopolitan  wanderings. 
They  three  had  come  in  from  Brookmere  together 
that  afternoon,  to  attend  the  function  now  in  progress. 

Mrs.  Mannering  made  much  of  them  ere  they  in 
turn  passed  on  to  mingle  with  their  fellow-guests, 
who  were  all  agog,  waiting  to  overwhelm  the  efful- 

35 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

gent  Slyne  and  his  fair  fiancee  with  ecstatic  compli- 
ments on  their  romantic  engagement.  All  of  these 
Jasper  Slyne  answered  very  suavely,  Eileen  looking 
on  with  inscrutable  eyes  almost  as  though  she  were 
deaf,  while  Eustace  Gildersleeve,  at  her  other  elbow, 
screwed  his  keen  features  into  the  set  smile  of  the 
self-satisfied  guardian.  He  had  made  a  good  match 
for  his  wealthy  ward,  and  must  rest  content  with  the 
fruits  of  his  labors  on  her  behalf,  since  she  had 
not  grace  enough  to  show  him  the  slightest  grati- 
tude. 

Thus  safely  escorted,  Eileen  progressed  by  degrees 
toward  the  ballroom  entrance,  beyond  which  a  num- 
ber of  youthful  and  enthusiastic  couples  were  al- 
ready disporting  themselves  to  the  strains  of  a  dreamy 
waltz.  Others  also  were  moving  thither.  By  some 
curious  coincidence  the  alcove  in  which  Oswold  In- 
gersoll  and  his  companion  were  standing  became  in 
a  moment  the  center  of  animation.  When  he  stepped 
forward  so  as  to  confront  the  three  with  whom  only 
he  was  concerned,  all  eyes  seemed  to  be  irresistibly 
drawn  in  that  direction. 

He  bent  before  Eileen  with  all  deference,  bowed 
coldly  to  the  other  two,  and  was  about  to  address  her 
when  she  stepped  to  one  side  with  her  eyes  averted 
and  so  passed  on.  A  more  acute  case  of  the  cut  di- 
rect it  would  have  been  difficult  to  imagine. 

Ingersoll  drew  back  instantly  and  let  the  stream 
36 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

flow  past,  his  face  showing  no  sign  of  the  raging  tu- 
mult within  his  breast,  outwardly  oblivious  to  the 
covert  looks  bestowed  upon  him.  He  turned  to  where 
he  had  left  Tommy  Judson,  but  only  to  find  that 
Tommy  as  well  had  deserted  him.  So  he  stayed  there 
by  himself  till  the  bulk  of  those  who  had  been  wit- 
nesses of  his  rebuff  had  made  their  way  into  the  ball- 
room, when  he  quietly  retired,  and,  having  recov- 
ered his  coat  and  hat,  shook  the  dust  of  the  Man- 
nering  mansion  from  off  his  shoes  for  all  time. 
Tim  Finucane,  watching  him  till  he  disappeared, 
shook  his  head  sapiently,  and,  "  Bad  cess  to  the 
ould  fox  and  his  vixen  sister!  "  said  he,  "that  'ud 
rather  marry  Miss  Eileen  to  a  monkey  with  money 
than  a  man  without." 

Meantime,  Tommy  Judson  was  once  more  mixing, 
however  unwillingly,  in  smart  society.  He  had  seen 
the  danger-signal  in  Eustace  Gildersleeve's  eyes  when 
that  individual  had  first  espied  Ingersoll.  He  knew 
Mr.  Gildersleeve  quite  well  by  sight,  although  that 
astute  financier  did  not  know  him,  and,  acting  with 
his  accustomed  promptitude,  he  had  at  once  taken 
up  a  better  strategic  position.  Thus  it  came  about 
that  Eileen  Saxilby,  at  the  ballroom  entrance,  be- 
came aware  of  the  ugliest  man  in  Manhattan  ap- 
proaching her  in  the  forefront  of  the  white-shirted 
battalion  which  was  about  to  besiege  her  there.  And 
she  was  inconsistently  pleased  in  consequence,  for 

37 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

she  knew  and  trusted  Tommy,  the  struggling  artist, 
who  was  Oswold  Ingersoll's  friend,  and  hers. 

He  reached  her,  with  programme  uplifted,  before 
any  of  the  others.  She  handed  him  hers,  and  he 
modestly  put  his  name  down  for  the  next  two  con- 
secutive dances.  When  the  rank  behind  him  had 
filled  the  rest  up  to  the  detriment  of  those  in  the 
rear,  a  proceeding  to  which  she  displayed  great  in- 
difference, Eustace  Gildersleeve  reluctantly  yielded 
her  arm  to  the  unabashed  Tommy  and  turned  to 
take  Slyne  to  task  for  not  having  made  more  sure  of 
his  start.  But  that  gay  Lothario  had  already  gone 
off  with  a  partner,  and  Mrs.  Mannering,  with  whom 
he  would  next  have  found  fault,  on  the  score  of  In- 
gersoll's presence  there,  was  just  then  engaged  with 
the  personage  for  whose  entertainment  the  evening 
had  been  set  apart.  He  went  away  to  solace  him- 
self with  a  cigarette  in  the  buffet,  and,  as  soon  as 
he  turned  his  back,  Tommy  Judson  led  Eileen  off  in 
the  opposite  direction,  into  the  picture-gallery, 
adapted  for  that  night  to  the  use  of  those  couples 
who  might  desire  to  sit  out  a  dance.  It  was  empty 
then. 

"Oh,  Tommy!"  she  said,  speaking  for  the  first 
time  as  she  sank  into  the  seat  he  had  set  for  her  in 
an  inconspicuous  corner  screened  by  a  clump  of  tall 
palms,  "  I'm  so  distressed  about  Oswold !  " 

"  So'm  I,"  he  answered  shortly.  "  What  on 
38 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

earth  made  you  snub  him  the  way  you  did?  I  can't 
understand  why." 

She  flushed  up,  but  did  not  resent  the  implied  re- 
proach. 

"  Mr.  Gildersleeve  made  me  promise  I  would," 
she  explained  with  a  pretty  penitence.  "  If  I  had 
defied  him,  Tommy,  he  wouldn't  have  brought  me 
here  at  all  —  and  I  did  so  hope  that  Oswold  would 
find  means  somehow  to  make  things  right  with  him. 
It's  so  important  now,  you  see,  that  no  time  should 
be  lost,  and,  Tommy," —  her  voice  sank  to  a  low 
whisper,  she  glanced  nervously  about  her — "  I  hate 
Jasper  Slyne,  and  —  I'm  afraid  of  my  guardian.  A 
great  deal  has  happened  to-day  that  I  can't  under- 
stand. Will  you  tell  Oswold  he  must  do  something 
quickly  to  help  me,  and  —  not  to  forget  that  I'm 
only  a  girl." 

Tommy  had  been  regarding  her  with  a  faint,  dis- 
satisfied frown,  which  now  deepened  into  a  scowl.  He 
was  thinking  hard,  and  seriously  for  once.  Her 
sweet,  appealing  lips  had  drooped  and  quivered  as 
she  finished.  He  had  not  been  very  gracious  to  her, 
and  —  she  was  only  a  girl. 

He  knew  that  she  was  to  a  great  extent  in  her 
guardian's  power,  and  Eustace  Gildersleeve's  grim 
face  promised  little  consideration  for  a  girl's  feel- 
ings. Mrs.  Mannering  was  undoubtedly  on  Eus- 
tace Gildersleeve's  side,  and  therefore  against  her. 

39 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Slyne's  suave  smile  was  no  more  than  a  mask.  If 
she  was  to  be  saved  from  the  man  she  hated,  there 
was  indeed  no  time  to  be  lost. 

It  seemed  strange  that  any  man  should  attempt 
to  coerce  an  American  girl  into  marriage,  but  still 
stranger  things  had  happened  in  the  short  course  of 
the  present  prosaic  century.  Failing  her  guardian 
and  his  sister,  she  had  no  friends  who  might  properly 
interfere.  She  could,  perhaps,  appeal  to  the  courts 
for  protection  —  but  Tommy  Judson  knew  only 
enough  about  law  to  let  it  severely  alone.  It  was 
undoubtedly  high  time  that  some  one  should  do  some- 
thing to  help  her.  At  the  moment  it  was  his  duty  to 
do  —  what?  Out  of  his  inner  consciousness  he 
evolved  an  heroic  remedy  for  the  grave  ills  that 
threatened  her  and  his  friend. 

"  O.  K.'s  sacrificed  every  cent  of  his  own  re- 
sources," he  said  suddenly,  raising  his  eyes,  "  to 
square  off  the  debts  his  partner  incurred.  By  to- 
morrow he  won't  have  a  penny  to  bless  himself  with 
—  not  a  single  penny.  He'll  have  to  work  double 
shifts  now  to  earn  enough  to  buy  his  own  bread  and 
butter.  D'you  still  want  to  marry  him?" 

She  drew  back,  the  sparkle  of  honest  anger  in  her 
clear  eyes,  but  his  did  not  flinch  before  that  and  it 
died  away,  as  she  answered  steadily,  "  Of  course  I 
do,  Tommy." 

"  Then,  why  don't  you  ? "  Tommy  demanded, 
40 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  It  isn't  a  difficult  thing  to  do,  once  you  set  about 
it." 

"  But  —  how?  "  she  questioned  quickly,  head  for- 
ward, holding  her  breath  as  he  answered: 

"  Leave  that  to  O.  K.  and  me.  If  you'll  meet 
us  to-morrow  night  —  any  time  between  nine  and 
ten  —  at  the  Mariners'  Gate  in  Central  Park,  we'll 
fix  things  so  fhat  neither  your  guardian  nor  this  Slyne 
person  will  find  it  worth  while  to  worry  you  any 
more." 

He  had  spoken  very  abruptly,  of  purpose,  but  this 
did  not  disconcert  her.  It  was  her  turn  now  to 
think,  and  she  did  not  waste  any  of  the  few  precious 
moments  left  them. 

"  Would  that  be  the  best  thing  to  do,  Tommy?  " 
she  asked  timidly,  trusting  herself  entirely  to  his 
sense  of  right  and  wrong. 

"  I  can't  see  any  better  way  out,"  he  said  slowly, 
looking  away  from  her  fair,  eager  face,  "  and,  under 
the  circumstances,  I  think  — " 

"  Very  well,"  she  agreed,  in  a  tremulous  voice, 
but  very  contentedly.  "  I'll  do  just  as  you  say, 
Tommy.  I'd  do  almost  anything  to  —  to  make 
things  right.  And  —  thank  you,  Tommy,  with  all 
my  heart." 

She  laid  a  light  hand  on  his,  in  gratitude,  but  he 
did  not  seem  to  notice  it. 

"  That's     settled     then,"     he     asserted     gruffly. 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Bring  just  a  hand-bag  with  you,  and  leave  all  the 
rest  to  us.  How  long  are  you  under  Mr.  Gilder- 
sleeve's  guardianship?  " 

"  Only  until  I  am  married." 

"  That  means  till  to-morrow  night  then,"  said 
Tommy  with  comforting  certainty,  and  she,  too, 
smiled.  "  We'll  get  up  and  go  now.  It  will  be 
better  that  he  shouldn't  catch  us  conspiring.  He 
doesn't  know  who  I  am,  as  yet." 

When  Eileen  at  length  caught  sight  of  her  guar- 
dian again,  she  was  safe  under  Mrs.  Mannering's 
wing  in  the  ballroom,  and  Tommy  was  making 
his  way  downstairs  unobserved.  Twenty  minutes 
later  that  strategist  reached  his  studio  in  Twenty- 
third  Street,  where  he  found  Ingersoll  stretched  on 
a  cot,  staring  up  at  the  dusty  skylight.  Neither 
spoke  for  a  moment  or  two. 

Tommy  Judson  divested  himself  of  his  swallow- 
tail coat,  hung  it  on  a  purely  ornamental  gas- 
bracket, dropped  his  collar  and  tie  in  the  waste- 
paper  basket,  kicked  off  his  pumps  and  replaced 
them  with  shapeless  slippers,  brought  forth,  from  a 
bookcase,  bread,  cheese  and  beer,  offered  his  friend 
some  and  refreshed  himself  thirstily. 

"  God  forgive  me  if  I  ever  butt  in  among  that 
crowd  again  1  "  said  he  with  a  wry  grimace,  and, 
producing  a  shabby  corncob,  filled  it  with  cheap 
tobacco,  which  he  lit  at  the  single  oil-lamp  he  pos- 

42 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

sessed.  "  They  may  have  money,  but  as  for  man- 
ners — " 

"  Did  you  get  any  word  with  Eileen?  "  asked  In- 
gersoll,  interrupting  him  without  ceremony.  His 
tone  was  by  no  means  hopeful. 

"  I  did,"  answered  Tommy,  regaining  his  usual 
equable  temper  without  very  visible  effort.  "  She'll 
be  waiting  to-morrow  night  between  nine  and  ten, 
at  the  Mariners'  Gate  in  Central  Park  West,  for  you 
to  marry  her." 

Ingersoll  stared  tensely  over  at  him. 

"What's  that,  Tommy?"  he  questioned,  a  catch 
in  his  voice.  There  were  dark  rings  under  his  eyes. 
He  was  feeling  more  keenly  now  the  crushing  blow 
fate  had  dealt  him.  "  What's  that  you  say?  Don't 
trifle  with  me.  I'm  not  quite  myself  to-night.  I 
—  I—" 

Tommy  Judson  repeated  his  statement,  word  for 
word. 

"  It's  true,"  he  averred.  "  I'm  not  trifling  at  all. 
I  arranged  it  with  her  myself,  so-  I  ought  to  know, 
oughtn't  I?" 

Ingersoll  got  suddenly  to  his  feet.  He  took  a 
couple  of  turns  up  and  down  the  long,  littered,  ill- 
lighted  studio,  head  bent,  hands  clasped  behind  him, 
hope  and  despair  at  issue  within  his  heart. 

"  I  looked  in  at  my  lawyer's  apartment  on  my  way 
here,"  he  said  at  length,  in  a  level,  monotonous 

43 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

voice,  "  and  he's  got  things  worked  out  to  the  last 
fraction  now.  They're  even  worse  than  I  thought. 
Poor  old  Aylwin  had  been  plunging  like  a  sheer 
madman  in  his  attempt  to  recover  his  feet.  He 
even  made  away  with  some  valuable  securities  de- 
posited with  him  by  —  a  client,  as  cover." 

"  But  I've  turned  in  everything  I  possessed  — 
every  single  article,  Tommy  —  and  the  firm's  name 
will  be  clear  again  within  eight-and-forty  hours. 
I've  signed  cheques  already  for  all  it  owes,  but  it 
will  take  that  long  to  get  the  assets  together. 

"  What  a  fool  I  was  to  go  into  business  at  all ! 
I  had  far  more  than  sufficient  for  all  my  needs  till 
I  caught  the  cursed  fever  for  turning  my  money  over 
without  trouble  to  myself.  And  look  where  that's 
landed  me !  —  I'm  worse  than  a  pauper  to-night. 
I'm  short  a  dollar  or  two  to  settle  my  lawyer's  ac- 
count for  his  services." 

"How  much?"  asked  Tommy,  incisively.  He 
had  been  listening  with  close  attention. 

"  Nine  dollars,  sixty,  to  be  exact.  But  never  mind 
that.  What  I'm  trying  to  tell  you  is  that  your  plan 
is  absolutely  impossible  at  the  moment.  It  wouldn't 
be  fair  to  Eileen.  We  must  wait  till  — " 

"  We'll  take  one  fence  at  a  time,"  said  Tommy, 
and  reached  for  the  canister  labeled  Cofee,  from 
which  he  extracted  a  ten-dollar  bill. 

44 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  That  squares  the  nine-sixty  shortage,"  he 
stated,  and  laid  it  aside.  "  The  plan  I've  got  in 
my  head  is  perfectly  possible,  as  I'll  prove  to  you 
presently.  And  now  as  to  the  fairness  of  it:  sit 
down  like  a  sensible  man  and  quit  gaping  at  me  till 
I  tell  you  the  why  and  the  wherefore  of  everything." 

He  briefly  repeated  all  Eileen  had  said  to  him. 
And  Ingersoll  was  once  more  afoot,  frowning 
blackly,  before  he  had  finished.  But  he  gave  his 
friend  no  opportunity  to  cut  in. 

"  Listen  here,  O.  K.,"  he  continued  gravely,  turn- 
ing over  his  bundle  of  bills.  "  There's  eighty-eight 
dollars  left  in  the  bank,  and  on  that  amount  you've 
got  to  make  everything  right  for  the  girl.  The 
scheme,  as  I  see  it,  is  this: 

"  Bright  an'  early  to-morrow  you'll  go  gadding 
round  and  arrange  for  the  nuptial  knot  being  tied 
at  top  speed  any  time  between  nine  and  eleven  p.  m. 
Then  you'll  be  free  for  the  rest  of  the  day  to  put 
the  finishing  touch  to  your  own  affairs  while  I'm 
busy  loading  the  Fulmar  up  with  a  fortnight's  stores. 

"  I  know  a  man  who'll  hire  me  a  motor  for  four 
or  five  hours  at  a  moderate  rate.  I'll  drive  it  my- 
self. We'll  pick  Eileen  Saxilby  up  as  arranged, 
whisk  round  to  the  parson's,  and  then  make  full 
speed  for  the  sloop.  It's  lying  up-river.  As  soon's 
I've  blessed  you,  my  children,  you'll  slip  your  moor- 

45 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ings,  and,  if  anyone  can  tell  where  you  are  for  the 
next  fortnight  or  three  weeks,  it  will  be  your  own 
fault. 

"  You'd  better  leave  a  few  lines  for  me  to  mail 
as  soon  as  you've  made  sail,  just  mentioning  to  old 
Gildersleeve  that  you're  safely  married.  And  that 
will  make  his  mind  as  easy  as  he's  any  right  to  have  it, 
till  you  get  back.  If  he  finds  out  by  any  chance  that 
I've  had  a  finger  in  the  pie  and  comes  to  the  studio 
for  details,  he'll  see  a  note  on  the  door  to  say  I've 
been  called  to  Europe  on  business.  And  I'll  be 
down  at  a  camp  on  Long  Island,  leading  the  simple 
life,  till  I  hear  that  he's  forgiven  you  both  —  which 
he'll  have  to  do,  because  he  can't  help  himself. 

"  That's  the  scheme.  There's  the  capital  to  carry 
it  out  —  enough  for  us  both,  with  care.  Now  state 
your  objections,  if  any." 

Ingersoll  paced  to  and  fro  for  a  time,  without 
speaking,  and  Tommy  smoked  on  imperturbably. 
The  studio  was  strangely  quiet  at  that  hour,  when 
the  street  outside  was  empty  except  for  an  occasional 
surface-car.  The  atmosphere  was  unpleasantly  hot 
and  humid. 

Tommy  rose,  and  stretched  himself,  yawning. 

"  He  who  hesitates  gets  left,"  said  he  conversa- 
tionally. "  You're  not  going  back  on  me  —  and  the 
promise  I  made  the  girl,  are  you,  O.  K.  ?  " 

Ingersoll  stopped  short,  and  glanced  very  grate- 
46 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

fully  over  at  the  ugly  face  which  looked  so  strangely 
wistful  there  in  the  shadow. 

"  No,  Tommy,"  he  answered  straightforwardly, 
accepting  without  more  words  and  for  Eileen's  sake 
what  he  would  at  once  and  finally  have  refused  for 
himself,  "  I'm  not  going  back  on  you  —  or  your 
promise,  either." 

And  Tommy  Judson's  eyes,  meeting  his,  spoke  a 
quiet  contentment. 


47 


CHAPTER  IV 

MR.    GILDERSLEEVE   ABROAD 

AT  eight  thirty-five  p.  m.  to  a  second  a  motor- 
car of  modestly  inconspicuous  appearance 
drew  up  before  a  squat  and  dingy  building  in 
East  Twenty-third  Street  not  very  far  from  Madison 
Square.  From  the  doorway  there  two  young  men 
emerged,  much  muffled  in  spite  of  the  weather,  their 
features  almost  unrecognizable  behind  the  mask-like 
goggles  they  wore.  One  climbed  into  the  tonneau. 
The  oily  mechanic  who  had  brought  the  car  from  the 
garage  gave  up  his  seat  to  the  other,  and  stood  on 
the  pavement  watching  the  tail-lights  till  these  were 
absorbed  in  the  dark  blur  of  traffic  about  the  base 
of  the-Flatiron  Building. 

"That  guy's  a  slick  driver,  all  right!"  said  he 
with  professional  acumen,  and  turned  into  an  adja- 
cent saloon  without  wasting  any  more  of  the  time 
for  which  his  employer  paid  him. 

Among  Tommy  Judson's  many  minor  accomplish- 
ments was  that  of  being  able  to  do  almost  anything 
with  an  automobile.  He  took  this  one  tenderly 
along  Twenty-third  Street  as  far  as  Eighth  Avenue, 

48 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

turned  the  corner  there  and  made  more  speed  up- 
town on  the  emptier  thoroughfare.  It  was  not  yet 
nine  by  Ingersoll's  watch,  when  they  stopped  in 
Central  Park  West  at  a  little  disance  from  the  Mari- 
ners' Gate. 

There  were  few  people  about  at  that  hour  in  the 
dark.  Tommy  Judson  got  down,  and,  with  the  aid 
of  some  simple  utensils  he  had  brought  with  him 
from  the  studio,  proceeded  to  make  some  note- 
worthy alterations  in  the  registered  numbers  dis- 
played on  the  car  as  ordained  by  law.  He  turned 
a  one  into  a  four,  altered  six  to  eight,  and  deleted 
the  last  of  the  numerals  altogether. 

'  That  will  surely  fix  anyone  who  may  try  to 
identify  us  through  the  garage,"  he  remarked  as  he 
finished.  "  Now  you'd  better  stay  where  you  are 
and  keep  a  look-out  for  the  girl  while  I  reconnoiter 
the  gateway.  I  take  it  that  she'll  come  through  the 
Park,  and  she  can't  help  but  notice  me  in  this  rakish 
rig-out  of  mine.  If  she  slips  past  me,  you're  sure 
to  sight  her,  and  the  less  the  general  public  sees  of 
you  in  the  meantime  the  better." 

He  sauntered  away,  whistling  softly,  leaving  In- 
gersoll  to  his  own  reflections.  And  these  were  by 
no  means  unpleasant. 

For  Ingersoll,  since  he  had  made  up  his  mind  that 
he  had  no  option  but  to  abide  by  the  plan  to  which 
Tommy  had  pledged  him,  had  resolutely  put  all 

49 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

troubles  behind  him.  He  had  spent  a  very  busy 
day  in  winding  up  the  last  broken  threads  of  his 
former  affairs.  His  firm's  creditors  had  all  been  in- 
formed that  they  would  be  paid  in  full.  He  was 
altogether  free  of  them  now,  might  dispose  of  his 
own  vague  future  as  he  should  see  fit. 

He  had  even  been  so  fortunate  as  to  receive  from 
one  acute  business  man  among  them,  who  saw  in  his 
uncompromising  honesty  the  promise  of  such  service 
as  is  sufficiently  scarce  nowadays,  the  offer  of  prompt 
and  well-paid  employment.  That  meant  much  more 
to  him  now  than  he  would  once  have  thought  pos- 
sible, and  his  only  other  immediate  ambition  would 
very  soon  be  fulfilled.  With  Eileen  safe  at  his  side 
he  would  face  the  world  again  gladly.  And  the 
minutes  passed  unheeded  while  he  dreamed  of  castles 
in  Spain  to  be  built  for  her. 

Half-past  nine  struck  on  a  distant  clock,  and  an- 
other replied  on  the  instant,  but  he  was  not  unduly 
impatient.  She  had  a  good  half  hour  yet  to  her 
credit.  The  clergyman's  residence  where  the  sim- 
ple ceremony  would  be  performed  was  quite  close  at 
hand,  and  —  she  could  not  be  long  now. 

He  got  out  to  pace  the  pavement,  unmindful  of 
Tommy's  advice,  his  eyes  on  the  gateway  through 
which  she  must  soon  appear.  That  she  would  come 
he  never  doubted,  but,  as  ten  struck,  Tommy  Judson 
returned,  alone. 

50 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  She's  late,"  said  he  uncomfortably.  "  Must 
have  been  detained." 

"  It's  a  good  long  way  across  the  Park,"  Ingersoll 
replied.  "  She'll  be  here  presently.  Three  minutes 
will  take  us  to  the  parson's  door.  There's  time 
enough  till  eleven." 

Tommy  turned  back  and  took  up  his  beat  again, 
staying  there  in  a  state  of  increasing  anxiety  until 
eleven  o'clock  resounded  over  the  city,  when  he 
once  more  appeared  at  the  car. 

"  I'll  just  run  round  the  Park,"  he  announced,  "  in 
case  she's  made  any  mistake  as  to  the  particular  gate. 
It  won't  take  me  long,  and  she'll  probably  be  with 
you  by  the  time  I  get  back." 

When  he  got  back  with  the  car,  however,  he  found 
Ingersoll  still  pacing  perplexedly  to  and  fro  by  him- 
self. 

"  She'll  surely  not  fail  us,"  said  Tommy.  "  We'd 
better  wait  on  for  a  bit,  don't  you  think?  " 

;<  We  can't  well  do  anything  else,"  answered  In- 
gersoll, as  cheerfully  as  he  could.  His  own  mind 
was  full  of  forebodings  now,  and  the  minutes 
dragged  very  drearily  until  at  length  midnight 
chimed. 

It  seemed  useless  to  stay  there  longer,  but,  rather 
than  that  Eileen  should  run  any  risk  of  finding  them 
flown,  he  once  more  remained  where  he  was  while 
Tommy  Judson  drove  off  on  a  final  errand,  which 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

took  him  directly  and  at  top  speed  to  the  door  of  that 
aristocratic  apartment-house,  on  the  other  side  of 
Fifth  Avenue,  at  which  Eustace  Gildersleeve  and  his 
ward  usually  stayed  when  in  town.  He  had  been 
supplied  with  an  intimate  description  thereof  by  the 
other,  who  had  spent  not  a  few  happy  hours  there 
before  he  had  fallen  from  fortune. 

Tommy's  procedure  on  arriving  had  the  supreme 
merit  of  sheer  simplicity.  He  got  out  of  the  car 
and  rang  the  door-bell,  demanding  of  the  sumptu- 
ously uniformed  porter  who  answered  his  summons 
whether  Mr.  Gildersleeve  was  at  home. 

"  Mr.  Gildersleeve's  gone  abroad,"  the  man  an- 
swered curtly. 

"And  Miss  Saxilby?"  questioned  Tommy,  de- 
voutly thankful  that  his  first  arrow  had  missed  its 
mark. 

"  I  don't  know  nothing  about  Miss  Saxilby,"  the 
porter  replied.  "  She  went  out  with  another  lady 
before  Mr.  Gildersleeve  left,  an'  she  won't  be  back. 
Their  apartment's  closed.  They'll  be  gone  six 
months  or  a  year." 

Certain  coins  changed  hands,  and  the  man  became 
more  communicative. 

"  Mr.  Gildersleeve's  gone  to  Europe,"  he  said. 
"  No,  he  didn't  leave  no  address  for  letters.  He's 
crossing  in  his  own  yacht,  an'  his  movements  are  very 

52 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

uncertain.  Seemed  to  me  he  was  pretty  sick  about 
somethin'  when  he  went  away.  He  didn't  seem  the 
least  bit  happy." 

That  was  all  he  could  tell.  He  closed  the  door 
with  indifferent  politeness  on  the  inquisitive  motorist, 
and  so  went  back  to  the  corner  where  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  pass  the  night  hours  in  company  with  a 
racing-chart. 

Tommy  climbed  into  his  own  seat  and  laid  hands 
on  the  wheel,  but,  on  the  point  of  moving  away,  he 
looked  up  at  the  windows  above.  What  he  saw 
there  caused  him  to  postpone  his  departure  for  sev- 
eral seconds.  Then  he  made  off,  almost  noiselessly, 
in  a  hurry. 

Ingersoll  stood  aghast  at  the  story  of  Eustace  Gil- 
dersleeve's  sudden  retreat.  Tommy  told  it  to  him 
while  they  were  returning  toward  that  gentleman's 
residence,  and  also  explained  his  purpose  in  going 
thither  again. 

"  There's  a  light  in  one  of  the  windows  I  take  to 
be  his,"  said  he,  "  though  the  porter  assured  me  that 
the  apartment  was  closed.  What  we've  got  to  find 
out  first,  O.  K.,  is  whether  His  Whiskers  is  really  at 
home  or  abroad." 

"  His  windows  are  on  the  right  of  the  third 
floor  front,"  Ingersoll  reaffirmed,  and  Tommy 
nodded. 

53 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

'  That's  where  the  light  was,"  he  asserted.  "  I 
counted  twice  to  make  sure." 

He  stopped  at  the  corner,  till  Ingersoll,  who  had 
gone  down  the  street  to  prospect,  came  hastily  back. 

"  There's  a  light  in  the  library,  sure  enough,"  said 
he  in  a  puzzled  tone,  "  and  I  caught  sight  of  a  man's 
shadow  crossing  the  blind.  But  I'll  swear  it  wasn't 
his." 

He  pondered,  biting  his  lips,  till  he  reached  reso- 
lution. 

'  Whoever  it  is,"  he  suggested,  "  we  don't  want 
to  scare  him  away  till  we  know  what's  what.  So  we 
won't  warn  the  porter  just  yet.  I'll  tell  you  what, 
Tommy  —  I'll  take  a  peep  in  at  the  dining-room 
window.  It's  round  at  the  rear,  and  the  fire-escape 
runs  past  it.  I  can  get  there  through  the  trades- 
men's entrance,  if  you'll  give  me  a  leg-up  at  the  outer 
gate." 

"  It'll  be  a  bad  business  if  you're  caught  burgling," 
Tommy  Judson  objected  doubtfully,  but  followed 
without  other  protest. 

The  street  was  deserted.  It  did  not  take  Inger- 
soll more  than  a  moment  to  clamber  over  the  futile 
spikes  on  the  gate  at  one  side  of  the  building,  and, 
leaving  Tommy  to  return  to  the  car  in  a  very  com- 
fortless frame  of  mind,  he  tiptoed  along  the  flagged 
passage  within. 

54 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

All  was  quiet  in  the  courtyard  into  which  he  came ; 
the  windows  displayed  no  light.  He  set  foot  on  the 
fire-escape  and  was  about  to  climb  cautiously  upward 
when  a  door  behind  opened  suddenly  and  some  one 
came  forth. 

He  lay  flat  on  the  ladder,  repressing  the  urgent 
temptation  to  run  for  it,  praying  that  he  might  pass 
unperceived  in  the  darkness,  and  heard  footsteps 
crossing  the  court.  He  felt  quite  sure  that  the  thud 
of  his  heart  on  his  ribs  must  be  distinctly  audible 
throughout  the  block.  Some  one  went  down  the 
passage  by  which  he  had  entered.  He  heard  the 
latch  click,  the  gate  closed  with  a  bang,  and  the  foot- 
steps grew  fainter.  His  prayer  had  been  granted. 
He  had  so  far  escaped  discovery. 

Dumbly  thankful  for  that,  he  held  on,  undaunted, 
and  reached  the  third  floor  without  further  hin- 
drance. Through  the  uncurtained  window  there  he 
saw  that  the  dining-room  was  unoccupied,  but 
through  the  stained  glass  of  the  door  at  its  other  end 
came  dim  colored  rays.  There  was  still  a  light  in 
the  library,  and  an  occasional  movement. 

Fumbling  soundlessly  at  the  sash,  he  found  it 
slightly  raised,  as  if  to  air  the  apartment,  and,  lifting 
it  inch  by  inch,  very  carefully,  at  length  gained  in- 
gress. A  thick  Turkey  rug  on  the  floor  enabled  him 
to  go  forward  more  freely.  He  felt  his  way,  by  the 

55 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

backs  of  the  chairs  set  round  the  table,  as  far  as  the 
half-draped  doorway,  and  peered  through  the  least 
opaque  of  its  panes  with  straining  eyes. 

There  was  a  man  standing  at  the  desk  in  the  room 
beyond.  He  was  stooping  over  a  pile  of  papers 
which  he  had  apparently  plucked  from  one  of  its 
open  drawers.  He  threw  them  aside  with  an  angry 
gesture  and  picked  up  another  big  bundle,  held  these 
also  to  the  light,  ran  rapidly  through  them,  but  only 
to  cast  them  away  in  turn.  Half  a  dozen  times  he 
repeated  the  operation,  and  then  began  to  ransack 
the  racks  built  into  the  back  of  the  big  roll-top  desk. 

Ingersoll  knew  quite  well  that  it  was  not  Eustace 
Gildersleeve  who  was  treating  thus  cavalierly  that 
scrupulous  business  man's  most  private  possessions. 
But  he  did  not  take  any  steps  to  protect  Mr.  Gilder- 
sleeve's  interests.  He  waited  and  watched  till  the 
daring  intruder,  his  search  seemingly  completed  and 
unsuccessful,  faced  about  so  that  the  electrics  out- 
lined his  profile  —  which  was  that  of  Jasper  Slyne. 

It  seemed  now  that  this  intruder  was  finding  it  dif- 
ficult to  determine  what  he  should  do  next.  He  took 
a  turn  or  two  about  the  room,  biting  his  nails  in  evi- 
dent vexation;  turned  to  the  desk  again,  and  then 
away  from  it;  suddenly  came  to  some  decision, 
snatched  up  a  hat,  switched  out  the  light  and  de- 
parted, in  haste.  Ingersoll  heard  him  cross  the  hall, 
close  the  door  quietly,  and  then  silence  supervened. 

56 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

His  own  next  impulse  took  him  back  to  the  window 
by  which  he  had  obtained  entrance,  but  there  he 
halted,  irresolute.  Then  he  closed  it  almost  com- 
pletely, stood  listening  for  a  little  longer,  and  boldly 
entered  the  library,  where  he  struck  a  match,  and  so 
looked  hurriedly  about  him. 

Everything  there  was  in  disorder,  which  was  not 
remarkable,  considering  the  peculiar  occupation  of 
Jasper  Slyne.  The  room  had  been  rifled  as  though 
by  a  professional  cracksman.  The  trespasser  had 
made  no  attmept  to  hide  the  results  of  his  handiwork, 
for  the  safe  in  the  wall  at  one  side  stood  open;  the 
littered  desk  with  its  gaping  drawers  might  have 
served  any  but  a  blind  man  for  evidence  that  there 
was  something  very  wrong.  On  the  crimson  carpet 
that  covered  the  floor  lay  a  torn  envelope  addressed 
to  Slyne  and  a  crumpled  sheet  of  white  paper.  In- 
gersoll  struck  a  fresh  match  and  read,  with  ever  in- 
creasing amazement,  the  writing  thereon. 

This,  also,  was  in  Eustace  Gildersleeve's  hand,  and 
had  been  penned  with  such  haste  as  to  be  almost 
illegible,  but  what  he  made  of  it  was  this : 

"  Ingersoll  has  carried  E.  off.  Hear  they  have 
sailed  on  Adriatic  for  London  under  assumed  name. 
If  you  don't  see  me  before  then,  will  you  follow  by 
Lusitania  to-morrow  morning,  shadow  them  ashore, 
and  await  me  at  Carlton  Hotel?  Shall  probably 
cross  in  yacht.  Olive  Branch  left  at  noon  —  Porto 

57 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCE 

Rico,  for  orders.  Thought  it  best  send  her  on  ahead 
and  join  her  from  England.  Have  taken  all  papers 
with  me,  for  safety." 

It  was  no  time  to  ponder  a  problem  so  compli- 
cated. He  slipped  the  note  into  one  of  his  pockets, 
and,  turning  toward  the  desk  again,  ran  his  eyes  rap- 
idly over  the  jumble  there.  Eileen's  name  on  a  dock- 
eted sheaf  of  papers  instantly  arrested  his  glance, 
and  he  picked  it  out  with  feverish  haste.  It  was  en- 
dorsed "  Duplicates,"  dated  the  day  before,  and 
proved  to  be  life-assurance  proposal  forms  for  a  very 
large  aggregate  amount  distributed  among  various 
companies.  Ingersoll  pocketed  these  also,  mechan- 
ically, without  any  scruple,  as  a  fourth  match  burned 
out  in  his  fingers.  He  had  not  thought  it  advisable 
to  turn  on  the  electric  light. 

Further  swift  research  discovered  no  other  item  of 
present  interest,  although,  in  a  situation  less  agitat- 
ing, he  might  have  devoted  more  time  to  search.  As 
it  was,  an  irresistible  impulse  urged  him  to  more  ac- 
tive measures.  He  must  find  Eileen,  and  that  with- 
out an  instant's  delay. 

He  copied  his  predecessor's  tactics  as  to  the  easiest 
way  out  of  his  very  unsafe  predicament,  passed 
through  the  hall  to  the  public  stairway,  descended  a 
flight,  and  rang  for  the  elevator. 

It  did  not  immediately  ascend.  He  could  hear 
a  man's  voice  in  the  vestibule  below,  and  presently 

58 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

the  car  shot  up  past  him  with  Slyne  inside,  Slyne  in 
evening  clothes  and  a  light  overcoat,  an  opera-hat 
on  the  back  of  his  head,  his  black  moustache  almost 
bristling  with  fierce  impatience.  Slyne  saw  him,  and 
recognized  him  at  once. 

As  he  took  to  his  heels  by  the  stairs,  the  car 
stopped  with  a  perceptible  jar  and  came  sliding 
swiftly  down  again.  It  beat  him  by  very  little. 
Slyne  sprang  out  at  him  as  he  would  have  dashed 
past  it  on  the  street-floor.  And  at  Slyne's  heels  came 
the  puzzled  porter,  bellowing  loudly. 

Slyne  had  a  hand  at  his  hip.  There  was  murder 
latent  in  his  malevolent  eyes.  Ingersoll  struck  at 
him,  once,  with  weight  in  the  blow,  and  then  grappled 
him  to  prevent  his  shooting.  But  the  porter  inter- 
vened, and  Slyne  broke  free,  after  a  brief  struggle. 
He  had  drawn  his  gun  and  was  about  to  pull  the  trig- 
ger when  he  was  struck  down  from  behind,  and  the 
weapon  exploded,  harmlessly  except  for  the  noise  it 
made.  What  with  that  and  the  porter's  anguished 
yells  and  the  opening  of  doors  up  above  and  the  cries 
of  alarm  coming  down  the  shaft,  the  hallway  rever- 
berated. 

Through  the  smoke  Ingersoll  saw  Tommy  Judson, 
already  possessed  of  Slyne's  pistol,  threatening  the 
porter  with  instant  death  if  he  did  not  retire  to  his 
den  and  cease  howling,  which  he  did  at  once.  But 
as  the  friends,  having  backed  out  of  the  hall-way  with 

59 


•THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

speed,  fled  hot-foot  toward  the  car,  the  man  renewed 
his  hoarse  outcry.  A  dozen  other  voices  joined  his 
in  wild  shouts  for  the  police.  And,  as  luck  would 
have  it,  a  uniformed  guardian  of  law  and  order,  pa- 
trolling his  beat  on  a  bicycle,  appeared  at  the  further 
end  of  the  block  at  that  very  moment. 


60 


CHAPTER  V 

A   STERN   CHASE 

(HIS  is  —  going  to  be  —  a  close  call !  " 
panted  Tommy  Judson,  and  he  put  on  a 
last  frantic  spurt  after  a  swift  glance  back 
over  his  shoulder.  "  Climb  in,  O.  K.,  and  keep  out 
of  sight." 

Ingersoll  scrambled  into  the  tonneau  as  soon  as 
they  reached  the  car,  crouching  down  till  he  was  al- 
most invisible,  yet  so  that  he  could  still  observe 
the  rapidly  approaching  bicycle-policeman,  who  had 
only  slowed  down  in  passing,  to  hear  the  hall-por- 
ter's excited  statement  that  the  two  runaways  had 
left  a  gentleman  dead  in  the  doorway.  Tommy  was 
hastily  cranking  up,  but  the  sparking-plug  failed  to 
act  for  several  priceless  seconds,  and,  when  he  at 
length  sprang  to  his  seat  and  applied  the  power, 
Oswold  Ingersoll  had  all  but  given  himself  up  for 
lost. 

"  Get  a  move  on,  for  heaven's  sake,  Tommy!  "  he 
adjured  his  very  adept  chauffeur,  as  that  daring  in- 
dividual once  more  looked  round  to  see  just  how  far 
behind  they  had  left  their  pursuer  and  let  the  speed 

61 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

drop  perceptibly.  The  extreme  narrowness  of  the 
margin  by  which  they  had  won  clear  at  the  very  last 
moment  had  made  the  helpless  passenger's  blood  run 
cold.  And  the  policeman  was  pedaling  doggedly 
after  them,  bent  on  their  capture,  not  more  than  fifty 
yards  to  the  rear.  Ingersoll  was  afraid  that  the  car 
was  after  all  going  to  fail  them  at  that  most  critical 
moment. 

"  Not  just  yet,"  Tommy  objected,  gently  but 
firmly.  "  We  want  to  delude  our  friend  in  the  back- 
ground a  little  further  away  from  the  scene  of  the 
accident  before  we  bid  him  a  fond  farewell.  It 
wouldn't  be  wise  to  let  him  set  lips  to  a  telephone  till 
we're  ready  to  face  the  whole  force.  We'll  see  if. 
we  can't  lure  him  into  some  more  sequestered  nook, 
and  lose  him  there." 

In  accordance  with  this  policy  he  proceeded  across 
the  park  by  a  succession  of  feeble  spurts,  tempting 
the  angry  officer  onward  by  slowing  down  to  a  dan- 
gerous crawl  and  snatching  the  car  from  his  eager 
grasp  with  a  careless  ease  which  was  beyond  words 
provoking.  It  soon  became  a  personal  matter  with 
the  policeman  to  capture  the  man  at  the  wheel. 
When  he  encountered  a  mounted  comrade  who  had 
let  the  car  pass  unquestioned,  he  merely  cursed  him 
and  followed  his  own  career. 

Tommy  knew  the  park  very  intimately.  He  had 
often  found  inspiration  there  for  his  brush  during 

62 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

his  student  days.  When  he  came  to  the  place  ap- 
pointed he  left  the  roadway,  taking  to  the  forbidden 
turf  with  his  lamps  all  loosely  hooded,  allowing  the 
chase  time  to  see  him  commit  these  additional  crimes. 
In  the  midst  of  space  he  left  the  policeman  still 
pounding  blindly  along  in  what  appeared  to  be  the 
criminals'  wake,  a  path  which  led  to  the  edge  of  a 
clump  of  bushes  —  and  stopped  short  there. 

By  that  time  the  car,  its  lights  uncovered  again, 
had  escaped  by  the  south-east  gateway,  heedless  of 
challenge  by  other  officers  met  on  the  passage  thither. 

Tommy  laughed  softly  to  himself  as  he  turned 
along  Fifty-fifth  Street,  slowed  down,  and  swung 
into  Broadway,  heading  north. 

"  Climb  over  and  sit  beside  me,  O.  K.,"  he  sug- 
gested, and  Ingersoll  did  so.  They  were  crawling 
quite  decorously  across  the  Circle,  nor  did  they  in- 
crease their  speed  again  for  the  present,  an  error  of 
judgment  which  came  near  to  costing  them  dear.  But 
they  were  too  busy  discussing  the  strange  results  of 
Ingersoll's  burglarious  visit  to  Eustace  Gildersleeve's 
library  to  think  of  anything  else  just  then. 

"What's  the  next  move,  Tommy?"  Ingersoll  in- 
quired. He  had  been  calculating  the  possible  conse- 
quences of  their  recent  escapade,  and  these  had  some- 
what alarmed  him.  He  could  not  afford  to  figure 
in  any  police-court  while  the  current  crisis  in  his  own 
affairs  still  endured,  and  neither  could  he  well  see 

63 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

how  he  and  his  friend  were  to  escape  the  contingency 
if  they  were  caught  in  the  car. 

''  Why,  we're  going  as  far  as  Spuyten  Duyvil  on 
this  tack,"  Tommy  returned  unconcernedly,  "  and 
from  there  we'll  telephone  the  garage  about  the  bad 
break-down  we're  certain  to  have  as  soon's  we  get 
to  that  stage  of  our  journey.  They'll  send  for  the 
car.  We'll  dodge  back  from  Kingsbridge  by  sub- 
way, slip  on  board  the  old  Fulmar,  and  sit  tight 
there  till  we  hear  what's  what.  By  then  we'll  have 
had  time  to  think  what  we're  going*  to  do  next,  and 
—  trouble  weighs  less  afloat  than  on  shore." 

"  But  I  must  do  something  at  once  for  Eileen," 
Ingersoll  objected.  "  Heaven  only  knows  what  that 
precious  guardian  of  hers  is  up  to  —  or  where  she  is 
now." 

"  We'll  gain  nothing  much  by  gadding  about  any 
more  to-night,"  replied  Tommy.  "  To-morrow 
morning  we'll  be  about  with  the  early  bird,  find  out 
where  we  stand,  and  make  all  Manhattan  hum  till  we 
find  her  again.  There's  no  use  of  ...  Holy 
Father  O'Flynn !  Look  there  1  Now,  wouldn't  that 
jar  you!  " 

Oswold  Ingersoll  looked.  What  he  saw  was  an 
over-heated  bicycle-policeman,  mopping  his  brow  and 
conferring  with  a  sleepily  sympathetic  patrolman  at 
the  next  corner.  Their  pursuer  had  crossed  the  park 
and  headed  them  off  by  pure  chance. 

64 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Hold  fast,"  said  Tommy.  "  I'm  going  to  tam- 
per with  the  top-notch." 

The  assiduous  sleuth  caught  sight  of  them  at  that 
instant.  With  a  whoop  of  triumph  he  jumped 
astride  his  wheel  and  bore  down  upon  them.  His 
heavy-eyed  ally  came  lumbering  after  him. 

Honk-honk  went  the  horn,  but  the  enemy  did  not 
lack  courage.  They  stood  their  ground  valiantly, 
ready  to  die  but  determined  to  do  justice  on  the 
transgressors.  It  was  evident  that  passage  could  not 
be  had  but  over  their  bodies. 

"  Hold  fast,"  ordered  Tommy  again,  and  the  car 
jumped  a  foot  in  the  air  as  the  two  wheels  on  which 
it  was  running  in  a  quick  curve  toward  the  side-walk 
struck  the  low  curb  and  surmounted  it.  A  few 
inches  more  and  it  would  have  been  through  the 
front  door  of  the  house  there,  but  it  slewed  round, 
obedient  to  a  last  wrench,  skated  helplessly  for  half 
a  block  on  the  flags,  and  regained  the  open  roadway. 

"  I'll  give  the  maker  a  medal  —  when  I  get  out 
of  Sing-Sing,"  said  Tommy  ecstatically.  "  What's 
that  fat  five  feet  of  stickin'  plaster  about  now, 
O.  K.?" 

Ingersoll  looked  back.  "  He's  got  a  gun  out," 
said  he,  "  and  —  he's  going  to  shoot." 

Upper  Broadway  was  empty  at  that  late  hour. 
Tommy  in  turn  leaned  out,  looked  back.  The  man 
on  the  bicycle  was  taking  aim,  and  behind  him  the 

65 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

other  was  making  the  neighborhood  resound  with  his 
night-stick.  Tommy  drew  in  again  before  the  re- 
volver cracked,  almost  inaudible  in  the  greater  din, 
but  the  shot  went  wide. 

"  He'll  hit  us  if  he  aims  at  the  tire,"  he  said  dole- 
fully, and  set  a  foot  on  the  brake.  "  We've  come 
to  the  end  of  our  tether  on  this  trip,  O.  K.  '  Pride 
goeth  before  a  fall ' — but  this  fellow's  coming  right 
after  one.  Just  drop  the  spare  tire  in  front  of  his 
wheel  when  he's  close  up  behind." 

Ingersoll  did  his  bidding  without  demur,  and  by 
means  of  that  ingenious  expedient  stopped  the  pur- 
suit temporarily,  though  the  cautious  pace  at  which 
their  pursuer  approached,  even  when  they  had  almost 
come  to  a  standstill,  prevented  any  great  harm  be- 
falling him.  But  before  he  could  recover  his  per- 
pendicular the  car  had  turned  into  a  dark  enclosure 
several  blocks  away,  Tommy  had  jumped  out  and  ex- 
tinguished the  lamps,  and,  with  Ingersoll  at  his  heels, 
was  racing  across  toward  Riverside  Drive. 

There  they  adopted  a  less  conspicuous  pace,  and 
with  that  reached  the  dock  off  which  the  Fulmar  was 
lying.  -Among  the  small  craft  at  the  boat-house  they 
soon  found  means  of  conveyance  on  board,  but 
scarcely  were  they  well  afloat  when  they  saw  two  fig- 
ures following  the  very  path  by  which  they  had  come. 
They  had  no  recourse  but  to  continue  their  flight. 

"  Get  hold  of  the  jib-sheets  and  give  them  a  yank," 
66 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

whispered  Tommy,  the  yacht-owner,  scrambling 
along  the  deck,  and,  drawing  a  clasp-knife  from  its 
sheath  at  the  back  of  his  belt,  he  sawed  through  the 
single  line  that  held  his  ship  at  her  moorings.  In- 
gersoll  carried  out  the  order  in  haste,  and,  as  the  stops 
gave  way,  "  Sheet  home,"  said  Tommy,  scurrying  aft 
to  the  tiller. 

An  ominous  breeze  from  the  north  was  blowing. 
It  caught  the  sail,  canted  the  sloop's  head  round,  and 
drove  her  toward  the  lower  dock  while  she  was 
slowly  gaining  steerage-way. 

"  Let  go  again,"  hissed  the  steersman.  Helm! 
hard  a-port,  and,  with  sheets  thrashing,  she  thrust 
out  into  the  river,  clearing  the  pier  by  a  miracle: 
when  Ingersoll  once  more  hauled  in  and  made 
fast. 

It  was  dark  as  ink  on  the  water,  but,  at  the  upper 
edge  of  the  bank  they  were  leaving  behind  them, 
they  could  see  the  chase,  outlined  by  the  lights  be- 
yond, pause  perplexedly.  A  pleasant  sense  of  se- 
curity filled  their  minds. 

"  We're  safe  enough  for  the  moment,"  said  Inger- 
soll in  a  low  voice,  "  but  I  fancy  we've  made  Man- 
hattan too  hot  to  hold  us." 

"  We'll  find  that  out  in  time  enough,"  returned 
Tommy  cheerfully,  "  and,  even  if  we  have  —  your 
name  need  never  be  mentioned,  O.  K.  I'll  stand  the 
racket,  and  leave  you  free  to  look  after  your  own 

67 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

affairs.  Take  that  tiller,  will  you  ?  —  while  I  go  be- 
low and  get  out  the  sailing-lantern." 

He  dived  through  the  scuttle,  in  a  great  hurry, 
and  lit  the  lamp,  with  the  help  of  which  he  contrived 
a  supper  of  bottled  beer  with  crackers  and  cheese. 
After  this,  with  pipes  going,  they  became  optimistic 
as  to  the  future.  It  was  agreed  that  they  should 
hold  on  for  Gravesend  Bay.  From  there  they  could 
learn  all  they  needed  to  know,  and  take  further  steps 
to  find  Eileen. 

"  We'll  be  in  before  daylight  and  no  one'll  notice 
us,"  Tommy  averred,  consulting  his  watch.  "  That's 
Weehawken  over  the  way,  and  we're  slipping  along. 
She's  done  us  a  good  turn  this  time,  the  poor  old 
Fulmar" 

He  laid  an  affectionate  hand  on  the  well-worn 
deck-planks.  He  was  very  proud  of  his  ship,  was 
Tommy. 

With  the  steerage-way  that  they  had  from  the  fol- 
lowing wind,  which  was  always  increasing  in  force, 
they  found  no  difficulty,  even  under  the  single  sail 
they  had  spread,  in  threading  such  traffic  as  was 
afloat  in  the  small  hours.  The  Upper  Bay  was  quite 
clear  till  they  caught  sight  of  the  dark  hull  of  a 
steam  vessel  following  them  from  the  anchorage 
there,  and  Ingersoll  gripped  Tommy's  arm  with  a 
startled  cry. 

"  That's  the  Calixte  —  Eustace  Gildersleeve's 
68 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

yacht!  "  he  exclaimed.     "  It  is.     I  tell  you  I  know 
her,  Tommy." 

"All  right.  All  right,"  agreed  Tommy  sooth- 
ingly. "  I'll  get  up  the  night-glasses,  and  perhaps 
we'll  be  able  to  see  whether  he's  on  board." 

Turn  about  and  with  breathless  interest  they 
watched  the  shapely  white  steamer  which  had  just 
left  its  berth  and  was  bearing  down  on  them  through 
the  gloom,  lights  all  aglow.  But  they  showed  none 
since  hers  were  sufficient  to  keep  them  on  a  safe 
course. 

"  There's  Gildersleeve,  at  the  rail,"  whispered  In- 
gersoll,  "  and  —  yes,  there  are  two  women  on  board. 
I  can  see  her,  Tommy !  One's  Eileen,  and  —  the 
other  is  Mrs.  Mannering." 

He  was  intensely  excited. 

"  Keep  cool,"  ordered  Tommy  sternly.  "  They'll 
pass  quite  close." 

They  passed  so  close  as  gravely  to  endanger  the 
smaller  craft,  which  they  had  not  seen,  and  an  angry 
voice  from  the  steamer's  bridge  demanded  its  reasons 
for  failing  to  show  the  sailing-lantern  it  should.  But 
neither  of  its  two  hands  paid  any  attention  to  that. 
They  were  staring  fixedly  at  the  three  faces  clearly 
outlined  under  the  electric  lights,  at  the  quarter-deck 
rail. 

These  passed  like  a  flash,  and  the  Fulmar  was 
pitching  and  rolling  far  in  their  wake. 

69 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  It's  they,  sure  enough,"  said  Tommy,  breaking 
the  silence  that  had  ensued  while  Ingersoll  was  still 
straining  his  eyes  in  a  vain  attempt  to  catch  a  last 
glimpse  of  Eileen.  "  It's  they,  sure  enough,  and  evi- 
dently all  bound  for  Europe  together.  But  what  the 
deuce  was  old  Gildersleeve  up  to  when  he  left  Slyne 
word  that  you  had  run  off  with  the  girl  ?  —  unless  he 
had  found  out  first  that  she  had  meant  to  meet  you, 
and  captured  her  after  he  wrote  Slyne!  There's 
something  queer  about  the  whole  business  anyhow. 
What  do  you  make  of  it,  O.  K.?  " 

Ingersoll  did  not  immediately  answer.  That  he 
should  thus  lose  sight  of  Eileen  was  torment  to  him. 
And  who  could  tell  what  might  happen  before  he 
should  see  her  again  ?  How  could  he  hope  that  she 
would  be  able  to  stand  out  alone  against  her  grim 
guardian  and  that  trickster's  equally  conscienceless 
sister?  Jasper  Slyne  would  without  doubt  join 
them  in  Europe.  There  would  be  three  of  them 
then  to  coerce  her,  and  —  she  was  only  a  girl !  He 
groaned  aloud  at  the  thought  of  his  own  impo- 
tence. 

Eustace  Gildersleeve  was  a  millionaire,  he  a  pau- 
per. And  poverty  was  not  the  only  trouble  he  had 
on  his  hands.  Turn  where  he  would,  he  was  over- 
heavily  handicapped. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  it?  "  Tommy  Judson  re- 
peated. "  My  own  idea  is  that  you  should  get  after 

70 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

them    straight    away.     You   can't   very   well    leave 
Eileen  in  the  lurch  now." 

"But  how?"  asked  Ingersoll,  in  a  very  grieved 
voice.  "  I'm  more  than  likely  to  be  locked  up  as 
soon's  I  set  foot  on  shore,  and  — " 

"Why  set  foot  on  shore,  then?"  demanded 
Tommy.  "  Why  turn  back  to  look  for  trouble  when 
all  your  luck  lies  ahead?  We've  both  left  a  rotten 
bad  record  behind  us,  and  I've  no  ambition  to  spend 
the  winter  on  Blackwell's  Island.  My  motto's  this: 
As  well  be  hanged  for  a  wolf  as  a  sheep!  We've 
handed  that  scoundrel  Slyne  a  small  instalment  of 
what's  due  him.  Let's  go  right  on  and  soak  old  Gil- 
dersleeve  some." 

Ingersoll  could  only  gaze  at  him,  blankly. 
'  The  Fulmar's  a  well-found  ship,"  Tommy  Jud- 
son  explained,  with  all  that  fond  fatuity  which  so 
often  distinguishes  the  small-yacht  owner.  "  There's 
nothing  that  I  can  see  to  hinder  us  taking  a  trip  to 
Europe  in  her.  And  we  won't  be  any  worse  off  there 
at  the  moment  than  in  Manhattan." 

Still  Ingersoll  said  no  word.  His  forehead  was 
deeply  furrowed. 

"  You  aren't  joking,  are  you,  Tommy?  "  he  asked 
at  length,  very  doubtfully.  "I  —  I'm  quite  desper- 
ate myself,  but  —  I  can't  ask  you  to  share  such  a  god- 
less risk." 

"  Shall  I  head  her  for  Gravesend  or  for  Sandy 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Hook?  "  Tommy  counterquestioned  with  impertur- 
bable gravity.  "  It's  your  shout,  of  course,  but  I 
wish  you  could  get  it  into  your  head  that  I'm  stand- 
ing in  with  you,  win  or  lose,  of  my  own  free  will." 

Ingersoll  looked  again  at  the  sea  and  the  shore, 
which  was  already  creeping  in  ghostly  outline  from 
under  the  skirts  of  night.  He  looked  again  at  the 
dim,  diminishing  lights  of  the  distant  yacht  on  which 
all  that  was  left  to  him  out  of  the  wreck  of  his  past 
was  being  carried  away  by  force  or  fraud.  He 
scanned  Tommy's  ugly  face  very  closely.  His  own 
tense  features  relaxed.  He  drew  the  back  of  one 
hand  across  his  lips  to  hide  their  trembling.  His 
eyes  were  glad. 

"  You're  one  of  a  scarce  sort,  Tommy,"  he  said 
huskily,  "  and  —  it  was  only  on  your  account  I  was 
holding  back." 

"  That's  settled  then,"  Tommy  Judson  asserted 
with  a  very  gleeful  grin.  "  And  now  we're  going  to 
have  the  spree  of  our  lives !  " 

"  Look  there,"  said  he,  pointing  straight  ahead 
to  where  the  single  star  of  the  morning  was  shining 
clearly.  "  Take  that  for  an  omen  —  the  lantern  of 
luck." 


72 


CHAPTER  VI 


THROUGH  the  Narrows  the  tide  was  ebbing. 
With  that  and  the  following  wind  to  help, 
the  Fulmar  was  flying  seaward  at  a  fast 
clip,  under  headsails  only.     She  rode  on  an  even  keel, 
with  a  swish  at  the  counter  which  showed  that  she 
needed  no  more  canvas.     Fort  Wadsworth  crept  up 
abeam,  fell  behind.     The  first  of  the  new  day's  sun- 
shine lit  up  the  windows  and  roofs  of  Arrochar. 

Far  away  in  the  distance  the  white  hull  of  Eus- 
tace Gildersleeve's  yacht  was  slipping  over  the  sea- 
rim.  A  long  string  of  coal-hulks  in  tow  of  a  tug 
drew  across  its  wake  diagonally,  shutting  it  out  of 
sight.  And  over  beyond  them  all  lay  the  open 
ocean. 

Ingersoll  looked  astern.  He  saw  the  Staten  Is- 
land ferry  crossing  toward  Whitehall,  and  thought 
distastefully  of  300  Mulberry  Street.  A  vivid  pic- 
ture of  Slyne,  lying  white  and  montionless,  in  crum- 
pled evening  clothes,  on  the  parquetry  of  the  apart- 
ment-house hallway,  flashed  across  his  mental  vision. 
He  felt  very  thankful  that  he  himself  was  free,  and 

73 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

facing  outward,  not  in.  But,  at  the  same  time,  he 
was  haunted  by  an  insistent  suspicion  that  the  enter- 
prise into  which  he  had,  however  reluctantly,  led 
Tommy  Judson  savored  much  more  than  a  little  of 
the  foolhardy.  He  turned  to  that  unconcerned  ad- 
venturer: "How  does  the  whole  thing  strike  you, 
by  broad  daylight?  "  he  demanded. 

Tommy  Judson  removed  the  pipe  from  between 
his  teeth,  and  spat  contemplatively  over  the  side,  a 
nautical  habit  he  only  assumed  at  sea. 

He,  too,  had  been  thinking  over  the  turn  of  events 
and  studying  chances  while  he  sat  and  smoked  at  the 
helm,  an  expression  of  placid  contentment  upon  his 
unhandsome  face. 

"  Strikes  me  it's  a  good  thing  we're  here  —  not 
there,"  said  he,  jerking  a  thumb  over  one  shoulder 
in  the  direction  of  Manhattan  Island.  "  And  I'll 
tell  you  why,  if  you  like. 

"  I'm  even  more  afraid  now  than  I  was  last  night 
that  the  police  might  make  trouble  for  us  if  we 
showed  up  ashore.  We  seem  to  have  run  up  a  very 
tidy  little  account  with  'em  since  we  set  out  from  the 
studio. 

"  In  the  first  place,  I  must  plead  guilty  to  faking 
the  car  number,  and  that's  quite  a  serious  crime 
when  you  come  to  think  of  it.  Then,  you're  liable 
to  be  pulled  in  on  a  charge  of  burglary,  which  you'd 
find  it  infernally  hard  to  disprove.  Item  three:  I 

74 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

hit  your  friend  Slync  a  hardish  whack  with  my  span- 
ner, and,  look  at  it  any  way  you  like,  that's  felonious 
assault,  while,  for  anything  we  know,  he  may  be  a 
cold  corpse  at  this  moment.  We  have  at  least  half 
a  dozen  minor  offenses  to  answer  for.  We've  made 
a  fierce  enemy  of  our  friend,  the  bicycle-cop,  at  the 
cost  of  an  expensive  tire,  which  we  can't  afford  to 
pay.  And,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  we've  stolen 
an  automobile,  as  well  as  this  dandy  little  dinghy  of 
ours.  We  didn't  intend  to,  of  course,  but  we've  done 
it  all  right.  It  would  take  a  whole  lot  of  money  to 
white-wash  the  two  of  us,  and  —  our  capital's 
strictly  limited  to  the  few  dollars  we've  saved  on  ex- 
penses. We've  spent  nearly  all  we  had.  And,  in 
the  last  place,  O.  K.,  we've  neither  of  us  any  time  to 
spare  for  explanations  at  present.  We've  matters 
of  much  more  vital  importance  to  occupy  us.  . 

"  On  the  other  hand,  there's  hope  on  the  far  hori- 
zon. It  will  do  us  all  the  good  in  the  world  to  get 
away  from  New  York  for  a  bit.  You're  leaving  all 
your  business  affairs  in  order,  and,  when  you  come 
back,  you'll  start  in  clear  to  make  a  fresh  pile.  I'm 
going  along  of  my  own  good  will  and  pleasure.  I 
want  a  holiday:  this  is  the  sort  that  suits  me.  I've 
often  thought  of  taking  a  trot  around  Europe. 

"  By  broad  daylight,  the  thing  strikes  me  as  a 
cinch  for  us.  The  Fulmar's  a  sound  old  ship. 
We've  tried  her  out  in  all  sorts  of  weather.  There 

75 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

are  stores  on  board  sufficient  to  last  us  a  month  with 
care,  and,  as  for  water,  we'll  speak  some  ship  before 
the  breakers  run  dry  —  if  the  rain  isn't  heavy  enough 
to  help  us.  The  trip  across  this  old  puddle's  been 
done  in  an  open  boat  before  now:  in  a  decked  one, 
as  stanch  and  well-found  as  this,  it  will  be  a  good 
deal  less  difficult  than  falling  off  a  loose  log. 

"  How  would  it  strike  you,  O.K.,  if  I  got  some 
bacon  and  eggs  for  breakfast?  " 

Ingersoll  took  the  tiller  without  more  words, 
dumbly  thankful  that  Tommy  had  not  thought  bet- 
ter of  the  audacious  course  to  which  they  had  com- 
mitted themselves  on  the  spur  of  the  moment.  For 
there  was  no  other  way  now  to  help  Eileen.  In  that 
fact,  surely,  lay  warrant  full  and  simple  for  any  for- 
lorn hope.  His  last  lingering  doubt  appeased,  he 
cast  dull  care  overside,  and  found  himself  lighter  of 
heart  than  he  had  been  since  the  first  crash  of  mis- 
fortune. 

It  was  pleasantly  warm  on  the  water  in  the  fresh 
morning.  From  the  forecastle  presently  came  the 
fragrant  odor  of  coffee,  the  heartsome  hiss  of  a  fry- 
ing-pan. They  made  the  squat  little  yacht,  slipping 
easily  over  the  long,  low  swell,  seem  very  homelike 
to  him. 

The  Fulmar  was  no  mere  pleasure-craft.  Her 
thirty-foot  waterline  and  generous  beam  gave  her 
ample  stability  for  deep-sea  sailing.  Alow  and  aloft 

76 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

she  was  fitted  to  face  hard  weather.  Ingersoll  had 
been  as  far  as  the  Banks  on  board  her,  and  knew 
that,  though,  like  her  owner,  she  was  no  beauty,  she 
would  stand  up  to  both  wind  and  water  in  a  way 
which  might  well  astonish  much  handsomer  ves- 
sels. 

With  the  helm  in  the  crook  of  one  arm  he  ate 
hungrily  the  liberal  helping  of  bacon  and  eggs  handed 
up  to  him,  and  when,  later  on,  Tommy  came  on  deck 
to  trail  the  dirty  dishes  astern  in  a  net,  by  which 
means  he  might  save  washing  them,  he  found  Inger- 
soll puffing  contentedly  at  a  black  pipe. 

He  looked  up  at  the  sky,  dark  with  drifting 
scud,  and  composedly  took  in  the  foresail  ere  re- 
lieving the  man  at  the  helm. 

"  Glass  still  falling,"  said  he  casually.  "  Looks 
like  a  bit  of  a  blow  before  long.  Better  go  below, 
have  a  change,  and  get  well  wrapped  up.  I've  made 
all  snug  in  the  cabin.  If  you  feel  like  forty  winks, 
now's  your  time." 

He  himself  had  got  into  a  thick  overcoat ;  and  his 
oilskins  were  lying  at  hand  in  the  cockpit. 

Ingersoll  yawned  exhaustedly.  The  hot  meal  he 
had  devoured  was  making  him  still  more  drowsy. 
He  climbed  through  the  companion-hatch  into  the 
cabin.  It  was  very  cosy  and  comfortable.  He 
made  a  hasty  toilet,  and  stretched  himself  luxuriously 
on  a  level  settee.  In  five  minutes  he  was  fast  asleep, 

77 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

all  his  troubles  forgotten.  And  Sandy  Hook  was 
already  over  the  starboard  quarter. 

He  was  awakened  by  a  loud  knocking,  and  sat 
up,  infinitely  refreshed,  to  realize  that  Tommy  was 
hammering  on  the  deck  with  a  handspike.  The 
sloop  was  pitching  a  little.  He  could  hear  over- 
head the  spatter  of  rain.  With  a  quick  glance  at 
the  clock  in  the  corner,  he  struggled  into  his  water- 
proof coat,  clapped  on  a-  sou'-wester,  pulled  the 
scuttle  back,  and,  emerging  therefrom,  saw  that  cir- 
cumstances had  changed  for  the  worse. 

There  were  heavier  clouds  above,  traveling  faster. 
The  wind  was  whistling  more  purposefully  through 
the  cordage.  A  shower  was  falling,  and  might  have 
shut  the  land  out.  There  was  none  in  sight.  But, 
on  the  port  bow,  a  big  ocean-liner  was  ploughing  its 
way  toward  the  Narrows,  the  rails  of  its  shelter-deck 
fringed  with  white  faces  whose  eyes  were  all  focussed 
on  the  small  sloop. 

"  That's  a  big  un  I  "  said  Tommy,  adrip  at  the 
tiller  but  in  no  degree  disconcerted  by  such  a  mere 
trifle  as  a  shower  of  rain.  He  waved  graciously 
to  the  onlookers,  kissed  his  free  hand  to  a  group 
of  girls,  and  got  to  his  feet,  gaping  wearily. 

"  You've  had  a  good  snooze,  O.K.,"  said  he. 
"  Will  you  take  a  trick  at  the  tiller  while  I  close  my 
eyes  for  an  hour,  so  that  we  may  both  be  about  to- 
might  if  need  be.  There'll  soon  be  a  bit  of  a  sea 

78 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

on  the  hop,  and  it  will  increase  as  we  leave  the  land. 
I'm  half  afraid  to  hold  closer  in  to  the  coast,  and 
we  can't  in  any  case  —  unless  we  hoist  the  storm-stay- 
sail. I  think,  on  the  whole,  that  we're  safer  to  run 
before  it." 

He  gave  place  to  his  companion. 

"  You'll  call  me,  of  course,  if  there's  any  oc- 
casion," he  urged.  "  All  I  want's  an  hour,  just  to 
take  the  sleep  out  of  my  eyes." 

"Why  didn't  you  wake  me  sooner?"  Ingersoll 
answered  reproachfully.  "  I  was  counting  on  you 
to  do  that.  It's  after  three.  I've  been  snoring  for 
over  six  hours !  " 

Tommy,  closing  the  scuttle  again,  grinned  up  at 
him  from  beneath  it,  and  he  could  not  but  laugh 
back  at  the  ugly,  honest  face  that  showed  through 
the  six-inch  opening. 

He  glanced  at  the  compass  from  time  to  time,  and 
anon  at  the  chart  exposed  under  a  glazed  cover 
within  the  cockpit.  That  was  one  of  Tommy  Jud- 
son's  contrivances  toward  comfort.  But  the  Fulmar, 
running  free,  was  amost  steering  hersef.  There  was 
no  fear  of  her  broaching  to,  while  the  sea  rose  no 
higher.  She  was  riding  such  swell  as  there  was  with 
a  send  that  kept  her  on  a  straight  course. 

The  shower  passed,  leaving  the  wet  decks  shining, 
but  the  sun  did  not  come  out  again.  The  scud  from 
the  north  hung  low  in  the  sky  while  the  breeze  still 

79 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

gathered  strength  under  it  and  the  swell  grew  steeper. 
The  Fulmar  yawed  to  a  seventh  wave,  and  rolled 
protestingly  as  the  wind  yanked  her  back  to  her 
course  by  the  nose.  But  Ingersoll  paid  more  heed 
to  his  helm  after  that,  and  she  did  not  transgress 
again  for  perhaps  a  couple  of  hours,  when  a  big  fel- 
low hunched  his  shoulder  under  her  keel  and  once 
more  sent  her  staggering  sideways. 

The  lurch  she  gave  shook  Tommy  from  his  settee. 
He  woke  from  a  sodden  sleep  to  find  himself  slip- 
ping about  the  matting  which  covered  the  floor- 
boards, and  just  at  that  moment  the  crest  of  a  comber 
bestowed  a  most  thunderous  slap  on  -the  little  ship's 
side.  Pots  and  pans  clattered,  crockery  rattled,  the 
skylight  was  suddenly  darkened,  a  miniature  water- 
fall poured  in  upon  him.  He  scrambled  to  his  knees, 
slipped  his  coat  on,  and,  waiting  his  opportunity, 
climbed  through  the  scuttle,  slipping  the  washboard 
into  place  there  as  he  passed,  drawing  the  hatch 
more  closely  over  it. 

"  Movin'  about  a  bit  more,  eh!  "  he  called  to  his 
friend,  and,  without  other  comment,  cocked  careful 
eyes  about  him.  What  he  saw  did  not  please  him 
over  much,  and,  looking  toward  the  north,  he 
frowned. 

The  wind  blowing  from  that  quarter,  ever  more 
strongly,  had  banked  up  a  big,  lumpy  sea.  Dusk 
was  coming  down.  From  the  sloop  to  the  circular 

80 


horizon  rose  and  sank  a  restless  steel-gray  ridge  and 
furrow,  doubly  desolate  in  the  waning  light.  Here 
and  there  curled  a  white-cap,  flecking  the  gloom  with 
a  ghostly  foam,  and  over  the  world's  edge  in  the 
gathering  darkness  a  gale  was  growing. 

;<  We'll  be  on  high  jump  before  long,  or  I'm  much 
mistaken,"  Tommy  said  to  himself,  but  to  Ingersoll 
he  merely  remarked,  "  We'll  have  something  to  eat 
now,  and  then  I'll  relieve  you.  P'raps  I  might  just 
as  well  take  a  reef  down  first  though,  and  save  get- 
ting soaked  later  on." 

He  looked  reflectively  at  the  bellying  jib,  under 
which  they  had  been  driving  all  day,  then  over  the 
stern. 

"  If  that  cloth  carries  away,"  he  communed  with 
himself,  "  it  will  be  very  awkward  for  us.  And,  as 
I'm  a  sinner,  I  quite  forgot  these  old  backstays  are 
not  all  they  might  be.  I'd  better  set  the  storm-sails 
at  once  and  so  ease  the  strain." 

Ingersoll  stuck  to  his  own  task,  asking  no  need- 
less questions,  and  Tommy  sank  out  of  sight  through 
the  scuttle.  The  cabin  floor  was  sopping  with  the 
sea-water  which  had  got  in  ere  he  shipped  the  wash- 
board, but  he  crept  on  hands  and  knees  to  the  sliding 
door  which  shut  off  the  forecastle,  fastened  that 
back  and  wriggled  through.  There  was  little  light 
from  the  bullseye  in  the  manhole-cover  clamped 
into  place  with  a.  couple  of  screws,  but  he  could  have 

81 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

found  what  he  wanted  blind.  With  his  back  to 
the  bulkhead  he  steadied  himself,  and  drew  from  a 
locker  a  canvas  bag  containing  two  sails,  which  he 
tossed  through  into  the  cabin.  He  spent  five  min- 
utes making  everything  fast  in  the  forecastle,  wrig- 
gled out  again,  and  drew  the  door  to,  securing  it 
with  a  dependable  latch. 

"  That's  everything  all  right  forward,"  said 
Tommy,  and  scrutinized  the  sails  very  carefully. 
Then  he  laid  them  along  the  floor  and,  having  tied 
stops  about  them,  passed  them  on  deck,  Ingersoll 
pulling  lustily  while  he  pushed. 

The  Fulmar  was  pitching  more  than  a  little  by 
this  time,  burying  her  stubby  bowsprit  in  each  suc- 
ceeding slope.  The  whitecaps  had  become  more 
numerous.  Wisps  of  spindrift  were  whipping  from 
crest  to  crest,  like  ghosts  in  the  gloom.  Tommy 
had  to  cling  closely  to  the  creaking  boom  as  he  car- 
ried a  staysail  forward. 

He  braced  himself  against  the  mast,  with  one 
foot  on  the  four-inch  gunwale,  and  thus,  with  in- 
finite difficulty,  hoisted  the  sail  in  its  stops,  made  the 
forefoot  fast,  set  the  sheets,  and  paused  to  look  very 
dubiously  at  the  straining  jib. 

He  drew  back  abaft  the  mast,  made  himself  as 
secure  as  he  could,  cast  the  jib-halliards  free,  let  them 
go  with  a  run,  and  dragged  at  the  staysail-sheets. 

82 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

As  the  halliards  thrashed  through  the  blocks  and  the 
jib  blew  out  on  the  bowsprit,  the  staysail  spread  to 
the  blast  with  a  tug  which  set  the  untrustworthy 
backstays  atwang.  But  they  stood  the  stretch,  and 
Tommy  looked  pleased  as  he  sat  down  carefully  to 
recover  the  jib. 

He  had  not  been  able  to  save  himself  the  soaking 
he  had  deprecated,  but  was  quite  undaunted  when 
he  got  back  to  the  cockpit  with  the  saved  sail. 

"  She'll  swim  like  a  duck  now,  O.K.,"  he  informed 
Ingersoll,  who  had  been  anxiously  watching  his  oper- 
ations, "  but  I  may  as  well  run  the  other  rag  up 
while  I'm  at  it.  That  can  stay  in  the  stops  till  it's 
wanted,  which  won't  be  till  after  this  zephyr's  blown 
itself  out." 

When  he  had  got  everything  done  to  his  satisfac- 
tion, the  little  Fulmar  was  as  fit  as  she  might  be 
made  to  face  the  trouble  in  store  for  her.  And  he 
once  more  turned  his  attention  to  supper,  leaving 
Ingersoll  alone  while  he  rummaged  below  for  such 
food  and  drink  as  could  be  consumed  without 
cooking. 

The  sailing-lantern  was  still  three  parts  full  of  oil. 
He  got  that  lit,  set  it  out  of  the  wind  in  the  well  of 
the  cockpit,  and  brought  forth  supplies  of  canned 
beef  and  crackers,  a  pannikin  containing  water  well 
laced  with  navy  rum. 

83 


"  We  must  keep  the  cold  out,"  he  cried  to  Inger- 
soll,  his  words  little  more  than  audible  in  the  roar 
of  the  tumbling  waters,  the  shriek  of  the  wind.  And, 
having  refreshed  himself  first,  without  apology,  he 
took  the  helm  while  the  other  ate  and  drank. 

Night  had  fallen  a  good  half  hour  before.  All 
about  them  was  inky  blackness,  save  where  here  and 
there,  dim  gray  shadows  showed  breaking  seas. 
Tommy  picked  up  the  lantern  and  peered  at  the 
compass.  They  were  driving  to  east  of  south  and 
entirely  away  from  the  course  they  wanted  to  follow. 

"  I'll  put  a  drag  out,"  he  suggested.  "  We're  on 
the  wrong  road  and  traveling  far  too  fast.  If  this 
lasts,  we'll  break  the  record  to  Porto  Rico  —  but 
that  isn't  Europe!  " 

When  Ingersoll  in  turn  had  finished  he  took  the 
tiller  again  while  Tommy  unearthed  his  sea-anchor 
from  among  the  odds  and  ends  in  the  sternmost 
locker,  and  let  it  go.  It  checked  their  speed  but 
made  the  decks  very  much  wetter.  He  hove  on  the 
tripping-line  and  hauled  it  in  again. 

"  Better  just  let  her  rip,"  he  opined,  "  and  keep 
cool.  It's  too  late  now  to  wear  ship,  and  there's 
no  sense  in  having  her  pooped  all  night  long.  What 
we  lose  we'll  make  back  when  a  southerly  breeze 
gives  us  half  a  chance.  The  Fulmar's  a  fast  ship, 
eh,  O.K.  I  "  • 

He  had  to  speak  at  the  height  of  his  voice  to 

84 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

make  himself  heard,  but  seemed  so  well  satisfied  with 
their  by  no  means  agreeable  plight  that  Ingersoll 
could  not  help  smiling.  Tommy  Judson  grinned 
back  at  him. 

"Fine,  isn't  it?"  he  asked.  "How  about  a 
smoke?  I've  got  some  stogies  below  that  a  fire- 
engine  couldn't  put  out  once  they're  going  full  blast. 
Shall  I  light  one  for  you?  " 

He  did  not  wait  for  an  answer  but  crawled  away 
and  soon  came  back  with  two  stumpy  cheroots,  both 
aglow.  Ingersoll  took  one  and  gave  him  the  helm 
at  a  sign,  snuggling  low  in  the  cockpit  to  smoke  in 
such  comfort  as  he  could  contrive  under  the  very 
adverse  conditions.  But  that  did  not  endure  long. 

They  dropped  into  the  trough  of  a  sea  and  a  black 
wall  of  water  rose  high  overhead  at  the  stern,  spat 
hissing  white  spume  into  space,  curled,  caved  in,  and 
came  crashing  down  on  them  before  they  could  move. 

The  sloop's  staunch  oak  timbers  all  quivered  and 
groaned  under  the  deadly  force  of  the  blow.  She 
staggered  and  struggled,  sick,  sinking,  to  shake  off 
the  weight  that  was  threatening  to  drown  her,  hung 
reeling  for  an  endless  instant  between  life  and  death, 
emerged  with  a  shuddering  gasp  from  the  heel  of 
the  comber. 

The  downfall  washed  Ingersoll  out  of  the  cockpit. 
It  lifted  him  clean  off  his  feet  and  he  floated  away, 
choking,  clutching  at  space.  He  would  most  in- 

85 


fallibly  have  finished  overboard  had  not  he  caught 
in  the  backstay  and  hung  there  till  the  little  craft 
wrenched  herself  free  from  that  giant  grip.  As  it 
was  he  lay  doubled  up,  stunned,  head  and  feet  hang- 
ing limply  beyond  the  bulwark  till  Tommy  recov- 
ered sufficiently  to  rescue  him  from  his  perilous  pre- 
dicament. That  alarmed  navigator  had  clung  like 
a  leech  to  the  rudder-head,  and,  but  for  having  im- 
bibed much  salt  water,  was  little  the  worse. 

He  dragged  Ingersoll  aft  and  sprang  back  to  his 
own  post  at  the  tiller,  in  time  and  no  more  to  pre- 
vent the  vessel  from  broaching  to  as  she  slid  down 
the  succeeding  slope.  When  Ingersoll  opened  his 
eyes  again  in  dismayed  bewilderment  he  was  once 
more  safe  in  the  cockpit  and  Tommy  was  letting  go 
the  drag  for  a  second  time. 

"  How  goes  it,  O.K.?  "  asked  the  anxious  steers- 
man in  a  solicitous  shout.  "Any  damage  done? 
Are  you  feeling  all  right?  Gad!  I  thought  you 
were  gone  for  good." 

Ingersoll  raised  himself  on  one  elbow.  He  was 
suffering  pain,  but  no  bones  were  broken. 

"  All  right,"  he  answered.     "  Are  you?  " 

Tommy  nodded.  "  But  that  was  a  near  thing!  " 
he  cried.  "  We  mustn't  risk  it  again.  I've  let  the 
sea-anchor  out  with  some  oil  in  it  —  the  lamp  from 
the  lantern.  We  couldn't  have  lit  it  anyhow,  and 
it'll  maybe  save  us  from  any  more  breaking  seas." 

86 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Ingersoll  sat  up  with  an  effort.  He  was  wet  to 
the  skin  and  the  wind  carried  a  cold  sting  in  it.  He 
shivered,  and  stared  disconsolately  about  him. 
There  was  something  beside  the  spray  splashing  on 
the  deck.  He  turned  up  the  brim  of  his  sou'-wester, 
and  felt  rain  on  his  face. 

The  shower  came  down  in  a  sheet  that  was  al- 
most solid,  slanting  from  north  to  south  with  the 
gale.  It  shut  them  into  still  grosser  darkness, 
through  which  they  dragged,  unable  to  see  or  hear, 
at  the  will  of  the  elements. 

Tommy  Judson  put  his  lips  to  the  other's  ear,  and 
"Bully  for  us!"  he  yelled.  "This  will  lay  the 
sea." 

Ingersoll  turned  his  head  to  look  back,  uttered  an 
agonized  cry  of  warning,  and,  springing  forward, 
tugged  frantically  at  the  slip-knots  of  the  ropes  with 
which  they  had  secured  the  dinghy  on  deck. 

A  shapeless  shadow  loomed  up  out  of  the  murk, 
hung  poised  for  a  dreadful  moment  upon  the  crest 
of  the  ridge  which  the  Fulmar  was  descending, 
ploughed  forward,  swooped  down  upon  her,  and  cut 
through  her  staunch  oak  timbers  as  though  they  had 
been  so  much  pulp. 


CHAPTER  VII 

SALEH 

TOMMY  JUDSON'S  next  coherent  impres- 
sion was  of  soft  sunshine.  It  came  to  him 
through  half-lifted  eyelids.  When  he  tried 
to  open  them  further  he  could  not. 

His  head  felt  strange.  He  touched  it,  very  cau- 
tiously, and  found  that  it  was  encircled  by  a  stif- 
fening, sticky  bandage,  which  also  obscured  his 
vision. 

Strange  voices  fell  on  his  ears,  particularly  one 
of  a  woman.  It  stirred  his  pulses  singularly.  He 
pushed  the  blood-stained  rag  from  over  his  nose,  and 
stared  stupidly  for  a  time  at  the  scene  before  him. 

It  dawned  on  his  understanding  by  slow  degrees 
that  he  was  lying  stretched  on  a  low  settee  in  the 
after-cabin  of  a  small  steamer.  The  thud-thud-thud 
of  her  screw-propeller,  almost  immediately  under- 
neath him,  jarred  on  his  jangled  nerves  much  more 
than  it  should.  He  was  sore  all  over.  His  limbs 
were  quite  limp  and  strengthless. 

The  cabin  was  finely  furnished,  more  so,  perhaps, 
than  is  usual  except  on  a  yacht.  There  were  many 

88 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

dainty  indications  of  feminine  occupancy  about  it. 
But  it  was  not  a  yacht's  cabin,  Tommy  felt  sure. 
And,  in  any  case,  he  was  much  more  interested  in  its 
inmates,  the  three  who  stood  facing  one  another,  two 
to  one,  on  either  side  of  it.  The  two  were  men, 
and  the  third  a  woman,  a  girl. 

Of  the  men  the  more  prominent  was  a  squat,  white- 
haired,  weak-eyed,  unctuous-looking  old  fellow,  clad 
in  an  ill-fitting  blue  uniform  with  much  glaring  gold- 
braid  about  it.  He  was  unduly  short  in  the  legs, 
long  of  arm.  His  smooth,  flat,  snub-nosed,  face  was 
shaven  except  for  a  fringe  of  whiskers,  which  added 
to  its  smugly  sanctimonious  expression.  His  con- 
versation was  not  at  all  in  keeping. 

Even  the  other,  a  young  man,  of  sallow  com- 
plexion, tall,  thin,  with  spiked  moustache,  and  foreign 
of  speech  as  well  as  appearance,  seemed  to  be  scanda- 
lized at  his  language  toward  the  girl.  Tommy, 
listening  intently,  unnoticed,  soon  gathered  that  they 
two  together  were  at  daggers  drawn  with  her  — 
about  him.  And  she  .  .  . 

Looking  up  at  her  as  he  lay  there,  helpless,  lost 
in  amazement,  he  feasted  his  eyes  for  a  space  on  the 
perfect  picture  she  made,  standing  straight  and  still, 
in  a  shaft  of  sunshine  whose  warm  caress,  like  the 
arm  of  an  ardent  lover,  outlined  very  delicately  the 
curves  of  a  slender,  virginal  figure  under  its  loose 
robe  of  clinging  silk. 

89 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Her  pose,  entirely  natural  and  unconscious,  was 
that  of  one  subtly  prepared  against  some  dire  hazard. 
In  her  unconventional  garb,  with  her  set,  resolute, 
crimson  lips,  level  eyebrows,  eyes  with  strange, 
lambent  lights  in  them,  like  twin  rainbows,  and,  over 
all,  a  glory  of  red-gold  hair  luridly  aglow,  she  was 
like  .  .  .  she  was  not  in  the  least  like  any  other 
girl  Tommy  Judson  had  ever  seen.  She  might  per- 
haps have  been  some  old-world  pirate's  daughter,  a 
princess  of  the  high  seas,  would  surely  have  seemed 
most  at  home  among  a  bodyguard  of  swart  buc- 
caneers on  the  poop  of  a  picaroon. 

But  he  of  the  present-day  uniform  was  swearing 
hoarsely  at  her.  His  every  sentence  was  garnished 
with  sulphurous,  old-fashioned  oaths,  which  came  the 
worse  from  one  of  his  pious  appearance. 

"  What  new  devil's  cantrip  is  this  ?  "  he  demanded, 
his  voice  unsteady,  his  weak  eyes  winking  with  rage. 
"  Are  we  to  risk  everything  again  for  the  sake  of 
a  shiftless  swab  like  that,  a  dock-rat  you'd  better 
have  left  to  drown  —  as  you  would  if  I'd  been  on 
deck  when  you  and  your  bully  Yoxall  brought  him 
aboard ! 

"  By  the  seven  stars !  Saleh  Harez,  it's  time  you 
were  taught,  once  and  for  all,  who's  master  on  the 
Olive  Branch." 

Her  fathomless,  inscrutable  glance  met  his,  un- 
wavering. But  she  said  no  least  word  in  reply,  and 

90 


"LOOK     AT    HIS     UGLV    FACE!       HE'S    A    BLIND    HOODOO,    I    TELL    YOU  ! 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

her  silence  seemed  to  incense  him  the  more.  His 
wrath  was  none  the  less  virulent  because  he  strove 
to  contain  it. 

"  It's  high  time  you  were  taught  who's  master 
here,"  said  he,  through  set  teeth,  "  and  I'm  going 
to  teach  you  now.  What  I  say  goes,  on  the  Olive 
Branch.  There's  no  room  on  board  for  that  — 
that  —  that —  Look  at  his  ugly  face  I  He's  a 
blind  hoodoo,  I  tell  you  I  He'd  have  sunk  us  last 
night  if  we  hadn't  been  steaming  at  half-speed  when 
we  struck  him.  And  he's  going  straight  back  where 
he  came  from." 

The  girl  stepped  forward  to  meet  him  as  he  came 
toward  her,  shoulders  hunched,  head  protruding,  as 
venomous  to  look  at  as  a  hurt  snake.  But  his  com- 
panion had  clutched  at  his  arm,  held  him  with  vol- 
uble whispered  warnings  in  a  slurred  tongue  which 
Tommy  took  to  be  Spanish.  And,  while  they  two 
stood  wrangling  together,  the  girl  watching  them, 
Tommy  was  surreptitiously  stretching  his  flaccid 
muscles,  collecting  his  scattered  wits  to  cope  with  the 
crisis  that  promised.  They  did  not  seem  to  have 
seen  that  he  had  recovered  consciousness.  He  had 
let  his  eyelids  fall  again,  and  was  making  no  visible 
movement. 

"  See  here,  Saleh,"  said  the  master  of  the  Olive 
Branch  suddenly,  in  a  much  more  placable  tone, 
"  what's  the  use  of  you  an'  me  falling  out  over  that 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

—  that  —  that  sleeping  beauty !  And  you  knowing  as 
well  as  I  do  that  he's  got  to  go !  —  because  it  might 
cost  all  of  us  our  necks  if  we  kept  him.  He's  less  than 
nothing  to  you.  Just  leave  him  to  me  and  Don 
Josey,  there's  a  good  girl !  We'll  make  it  short  and 
sweet  for  him.  He'll  never  know  — " 

He  paused,  to  clap  a  pair  of  gold-rimmed  spec- 
tacles on  to  his  nose,  and  produced  from  one  of  his 
pockets  a  little  blue  bottle  with  a  red  label. 

"  The  soothing  syrup,"  said  he,  with  a  sinister 
jocularity.  "  We'll  give  him  an  easy  start.  With 
half  a  teaspoonful  of  this  inside  him,  he  won't  have 
so  long  to  swim.  Just  leave  him  to  me  an'  Don 
Josey,  there's  a  good  girl!  " 

He  held  the  phial  up  to  the  light,  between  one 
finger  and  thumb,  with  an  indescribably  horrible, 
significant  leer  in  the  direction  of  the  sallow-faced 
man,  whose  saffron  features  slowly  assumed  a  forced 
and  most  ghastly  grin.  But,  as  he  stepped  forward 
again,  a  whip-like,  resonant  crack  rang  out,  and 
Tommy  Judson,  about  to  spring  to  his  feet,  ready  to 
make  what  fight  he  might  for  his  life,  saw  some- 
thing glitter  in  the  girl's  hand.  A  thin  and  acrid 
odor  assailed  his  nostrils.  He  scrambled  upright, 
coughing,  and  backed  giddily  toward  her. 

The  master  of  the  Olive  Branch  was  wringing  one 
reddening  hand,  that  from  which  the  well-aimed  bul- 

92 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

let  had  swept  the  bottle,  and  with  the  other  was 
fumbling  wildly  behind  his  back.  As  he  swayed 
sidewise,  knees  bent,  teeth  bare,  his  red-rimmed  eyes, 
much  magnified  by  their  glasses,  ablaze  with  murder, 
his  friend  Don  Jose,  bespattered,  fear-stricken,  bolted 
on  deck.  And  the  girl  thrust  Tommy  behind  her, 
held  him  fast  against  the  bulkhead,  shielding  him 
with  her  own  slim  body  in  spite  of  his  utmost  efforts 
to  break  from  that  ignominious  refuge. 

The  old  man  had  got  his  revolver  out,  was  dodg- 
ing from  side  to  side,  seeking  some  chance  to  send 
a  shot  home  without  hurting  her.  Tommy  would 
have  snatched  from  her  hand  the  still  smoking  pistol 
it  held,  but  she  would  neither  let  it  go  nor  use  it 
again  herself.  The  other  had  raised  his,  was  draw- 
ing nearer,  on  tiptoe,  with  stealthy  steps. 

His  hot,  hissing  breath  stirred  her  hair.  He  made 
a  jump,  to  reach  over  her  shoulder.  She  struck  at 
him,  crying  "  Rube !  Rube !  Oh,  Rube !  "  and,  as 
he  ducked  to  dodge  the  blow,  but  still  thrusting 
forward,  a  shadow  darkened  the  stairway,  a  heavy 
figure  leaped,  snarling,  furious,  from  the  door  at  its 
foot,  and  brought  him  to  the  floor  with  a  crash.  At 
that,  the  girl  let  Tommy  Judson  go  free. 

"  Got  his  gun,  Rube?  "  she  asked  breathlessly  of 
the  big  man  who  had  already  subdued  his  struggling 
captive,  and  was  holding  him  securely  pinned  between 

93 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

two  great  knees.  He  nodded  dumbly,  and,  pocket- 
ing the  weapon,  looked  up  at  her  out  of  anxious, 
clouded  eyes. 

"  Let  him  go,"  she  ordered,  and  signed  to  Tommy 
to  stand  aside.  "  Let  him  go  now.  He  won't  make 
any  more  fuss." 

The  big  man  got  up,  somewhat  sheepishly,  and 
drew  back  a  little.  He,  too,  was  in  blue  uniform, 
shabby  and  frayed,  with  gold  braid  that  was 
almost  black.  He  turned  quick,  appraising  eyes  in 
Tommy's  direction,  and  then  faced,  calmly  enough, 
the  steelly,  hate-fed  glance  with  which  the  master  of 
the  Olive  Branch,  once  more  on  his  feet,  would  gladly 
have  withered  him. 

The  old  man's  face  was  distorted  witH  passion. 
Crouching,  braced  to  spring  but  not  daring,  hands 
raised,  their  fingers  working  like  a  tiger's  claws,  he 
looked  like  some  fierce  wild  beast  balked  of  its  fair 
prey.  But  almost  immediately  he  mastered  himself, 
overcame  the  insane  desire  to  kill.  The  blood-lust 
in  his  eyes  died  out.  The  fit  had  passed,  for  the 
present. 

"  Oh,  it's  you,  is  it,  Mr.  Yoxall,"  he  muttered, 
with  a  great  effort  to  speak  in  a  natural  tone. 
"  You'd  better  get  back  to  the  bridge,  till  I  come 
up  to  relieve  you.  You  won't  be  wanted  here  any 
more  at  the  moment." 

94 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Reuben  Yoxall  looked  across  at  the  girl.  She  sig- 
naled assent. 

"  Thank  you,  Rube,"  she  said  simply.  "  You 
were  just  in  time,  and  —  it's  all  right  now." 

He  nodded  again,  most  unhappily,  and  took  him- 
self off. 

"  Send  that  white-livered  Dago  down  here  to  me, 
Mr.  Yoxall,"  the  old  man  called  after  him,  very 
acidly,  "and  —  you  needn't  come  aft  again  at  his 
orders.  D'ye  hear?" 

The  big  man  retraced  his  steps  as  far  as  the 
doorway. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  he  mechanically,  and  held  up 
one  warning  finger.  "  But  —  don't  you  dare  to 
work  —  her  the  least  little  harm,  or — " 

He  paused  significantly,  and  withdrew,  obedient  to 
a  gesture  from  the  girl.  The  master  of  the  Olive 
Branch,  affecting  not  to  have  heard  him,  was  busy 
winding  a  shred  of  linen  round  his  cut  finger.  When 
Don  Jose  reappeared,  faltering,  he  found  the  three 
gravely  regarding  one  another.  The  old  man  re- 
ceived him  with  a  contemptuous  stare,  and  silence 
reigned  for  a  space. 

The  girl  was  the  first  to  break  it. 

"  Better  have  a  brush-down,  Captain  Dove,"  she 
observed  conversationally.  "  You  don't  look  any 
too  tidy,  all  covered  with  dust.  And  I'll  tie  that 

95 


bandage  for  you  if  you  like.  You  don't  seem  to 
have  stopped  the  bleeding." 

Her  casual,  indifferent  dismissal  of  all  unfriendli- 
ness, her  nonchalant  acceptance  of  a  situation  so  sin- 
gular, her  whole  attitude  indeed,  puzzled  Tommy 
Judson  completely.  He  looked  on  with  unaffected 
interest  while  she  deftly  doctored  the  old  man's  cut 
hand  and  then  removed  with  a  clothes-whisk  the 
other  traces  of  conflict.  It  seemed  to  Tommy  that 
Captain  Dove  received  all  her  attentions  too 
cavalierly,  and  that  Don  Jose,  too,  thought  so. 

She  turned  to  the  latter  and  uttered  in  Spanish 
some  quick  words  at  which  he  was  much  confused, 
and  at  which  Captain  Dove  looked  as  black  as  thun- 
der. But  she  glanced  over  her  shoulder  at  him, 
laughing  musically,  without  any  malice,  her  teeth 
gleaming  very  whitely  between  her  ripe,  crimson  lips. 

"  And  now  about  you,"  she  observed  to  Tommy, 
still  standing  back  to  the  bulkhead,  haggard,  un- 
shaven, grotesque  and  dishevelled  in  his  damp  clothes, 
not  quite  certain  yet  whether  he  was  asleep  or  awake, 
alive  or  dead.  She  crossed  the  cabin  toward  him, 
confronting  him,  and  stood  for  a  time  looking  into 
his  eyes. 

They  did  not  fall  before  hers,  and,  presently,  she 
let  the  long  lashes  droop  on  her  peach-pink  cheeks. 
The  heave  and  sink  of  her  bosom  had  quickened 
perceptibly.  He  drew  a  deep  breath,  squared  his 

96 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

shoulders,  and  shook  off  the  glamour  in  which  a 
second  glance,  shy  and  appealing,  had  almost  en- 
meshed him.  She  was  altogether  too  dangerously 
attractive.  He  must  take  heed  lest  she  should  be- 
witch him  also,  as  she  most  assuredly  had  the  others 
of  that  strange  ship's  company. 

He  was  recalled  from  the  clouds  by  the  gruff  voice 
of  the  old  man  —  whom  he  had  for  the  moment  for- 
gotten entirely.  Captain  Dove  was  eying  him  with 
extreme  disfavor,  and  Don  Jose's  lowering  counte- 
nance also  expressed  anything  but  friendship. 

"  Quit  monkeying  there  now,  Saleh,"  Captain 
Dove  commanded,  "  and  pay  attention  to  me  for  a 
minute.  You've  got  your  own  way  again,  and  — 
much  good  may  it  do  you !  But  I  want  to  know 
what  you're  going  to  do  with  that  —  sleeping  beauty, 
now  he's  awake." 

The  girl  faced  about,  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder 
with  Tommy.  The  least  light  touch  of  her  body 
was  strangely  magnetic.  Her  own  fair  face  had 
flushed  at  the  taunt  as  to  his  homeliness  of  feature, 
and  she  had  to  bite  her  lip  to  keep  back  the  retort 
trembling  on  the  tip  of  her  tongue.  Captain  Dove 
himself  had  the  grace  and  beauty  of  a  gorilla. 

But,  meantime,  it  suited  her  purpose  best  to  be 
politic  with  him. 

"  I'm  going  to  take  him  along,"  she  said  easily. 
"  He'll  stand  in  with  me  - —  on  my  own  share  of  the 

97 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

plunder.     And  I'll  go  bail  for  him,  all  the  way." 

The  old  man's  watery  eyes  contracted  to  two  nar- 
row slits.  His  fat  face  assumed  a  forced  expres- 
sion of  mirth,  a  dog-toothed,  ferocious  grin.  He 
rose  from  his  seat  without  further  words,  good  or 
bad,  signed  to  Don  Jose  to  follow  him,  and  so  dis- 
appeared on  deck.  His  silence  was  more  disconcert- 
ing than  any  speech. 

The  door  swung  to,  behind  Don  Jose,  and  Tommy 
Judson  turned  to  the  girl  with  a  grievously  urgent 
question. 

"  What  happened  to  Ing  —  my  friend  —  the 
other  man?  There  were  two  of  us  on  board  the 
boat  you  ran  down.  Was  —  wasn't  he  picked  up, 
too?" 

She  did  not  at  once  answer  him,  but  his  heart  sank 
as  he  saw  a  slow  sympathy  overshadow  the  gladness 
of  her  regard.  He  sat  down,  and  his  head  fell  for- 
ward on  his  two  hands. 

She  watched  him  reflectively  for  a  while,  a  faint 
frown  marring  the  smoothness  of  her  white  forehead. 
But  it  was  for  him  that  she  felt  concerned.  The 
missing  man  had  been  nothing  to  her. 

He  looked  up  as  she  laid  a  light  hand  on  his  arm. 

"  His  troubles  are  all  over,"  she  said,  very  gently. 
"  Ours  have  only  just  begun.  And  you're  going  to 
stand  by  me  now,  aren't  you  ?  " 

There  was  surely  some  potent  magic  in  the  low 
98 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

voice  with  the  little  elusive  lilt  in  it,  or  it  may  have 
been  the  appeal  in  the  picture  that  she  made  sent 
the  blood  tingling  through  Tommy  Judson's  veins, 
and  brought  him  to  his  feet.  He  was  far  too  deep  in 
her  debt  to  count  the  contingencies.  She  had  stood 
by  him,  at  the  gravest  risk. 

"  Of  course  I'm  going  to  stand  by  you,"  he  an- 
swered swiftly.  "  But  how  —  what  —  I  don't  un- 
derstand." 

He  swayed  on  his  feet,  dizzily.  She  put  a  warm 
arm  about  him,  pushed  him  back  into  his  chair. 

"  Sit  still,"  she  ordered.  "  I'm  going  to  get  you 
some  food,  and  then  I'll  fix  up  your  head  for  you. 
You  got  a  pretty  bad  knock  last  night  before  we  got 
you  aboard." 

She  passed  into  an  adjoining  stateroom,  came 
back  with  a  basin  and  lint,  brought  bread  and  meat 
from  the  buffet,  all  in  a  twinkling.  The  lissom 
grace  of  her  every  movement  was  a  fresh  fascination 
to  Tommy.  He  sat  where  he  was,  contentedly  fol- 
lowing her  with  his  eyes. 

"  Eat,"  she  said,  laying  dishes  before  him,  "  and 
I'll  tell  you  —  everything,  afterward.  Eat  all  you 
can,  and  —  here's  wine.  You  must  get  your  strength 
up  quickly.  You'll  need  it  all  if  we  get  into  grips 
again  with  that  old  orang-outang!  Rube  Yoxall's 
the  only  one  I  can  trust  to  tackle  him,  and  —  he's 
made  up  his  mind  to  get  rid  of  Rube." 

99 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Now  don't  stop  to  talk,"  she  urged.  "  Get  on 
with  your  breakfast  while  I'm  at  my  doctoring.  I'll 
soon  have  you  sorted  up  to  rights.  You  must  have  a 
good  thick  head  to  have  stood  such  a  smash !  Tell 
me  if  I'm  hurting  you." 

Tommy  winced  a  little  but  went  on  eating  while 
she  worked  with  sponge  and  scissors  and  lint.  The 
food  and  the  wine  were  putting  new  life  into  him. 
The  touch  of  her  delicate  finger-tips  sent  soothing 
thrills  through  his  nerves. 

Her  task  completed,  she  stepped  back  to  scrutinize 
his  appearance,  and  he  looked  round.  She  smiled 
at  him,  a  slow,  radiant  smile,  and  his  ugly  face  lit 
up  in  response  to  its  sorcery. 

"  That's  better !  "  she  said.  "  And  now  you  may 
introduce  yourself,  if  you  like.  You  know  my 
name." 

"  Mine's  Judson,"  he  answered  readily.  "  Tommy 
Judson.  And  you're  —  Sallie  Harris." 

He  had  halted  lamely  over  the  name,  so  incon- 
gruously plebeian,  that  he  had  heard  bestowed  upon 
her,  and  she  smiled  again. 

"  Not  Sallie  Harris,"  she  said,  "  though  I'm 
English,  you  know.  Sal-eh  Har-ez.  That's  who  I 
am.  I'm  Captain  Dove's — " 

A  step  on  the  stairway  interrupted  her  confidence. 
She  pulled  the  loose  sleeves  down  over  her  bare 
arms,  drew  from  some  pocket  the  pistol  she  had  dis- 

100 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

cnarged,  replaced  the  spent  shell,  and  signed  to 
Tommy  that  he  should  slip  into  the  stateroom  ad- 
joining. He  would  have  refused  to  leave  her,  but 
a  quick,  imploring  gesture  impelled  him  to  yield 
to  her  wish. 

"  Don't  move  or  make  any  sound,"  she  whijpered, 
and  hooked  the  door  to,  behind  him,  so  that  it  stood 
a  little  ajar.  From  within,  he  could  see  her  seat 
herself  in  his  place  at  the  table. 

Some  one  knocked  at  the  cabin  entrance,  and 
pushed  in,  at  her  invitation. 

"  Good  morning,  Miss  Saleh,"  said  a  voice  that 
Tommy  had  not  heard  before,  and,  peering  out, 
with  all  due  precaution,  he  saw  the  girl  on  her  feet 
again,  facing  Eustace  Gildersleeve. 


101 


CHAPTER  VIII 


TOMMY  JUDSON  had  almost  betrayed 
himself  by  the  startled  exclamation  that  he 
choked  back  with  tight  lips.  For  had  he 
not  seen  Eustace  Gildersleeve  the  morning  before, 
on  board  the  Calixte,  bound  for  Europe  1  And 
the  Olive  Branch  must  be  at  least  twelve  hours' 
steaming  south  of  the  Great  Circle  Course.  He 
kneaded  his  heavy  eyelids  with  his  hard  knuckles 
and  looked  again  at  the  stooping,  gray-haired,  el- 
derly man  who  stood  glancing  uncertainly  about 
him  and  rubbing  his  hands,  before  the  girl. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Gildersleeve,"  said  she,  re- 
turning his  greeting. 

"I  —  I  was  looking  for  Captain  Dove,"  he  ex- 
plained in  answer  to  the  mute  inquiry  of  her  ex- 
pression. 

"  Captain  Dove's  on  the  bridge  by  now  —  it's  his 
watch  on  deck,"  she  informed  him,  "and  —  he  has 
his  quarters  amidships." 

Such  response  was  by  no  means  cordial,  and  Eus- 
tace Gildersleeve,  realizing  the  fact,  would  have  pro- 

102 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

pitiated  her  with  apologies  for  his  intrusion;  in  fact 
he  had  started  to  do  so,  but  she  cut  him  short  in 
these. 

"  That's  all  right,"  she  said.  "  This  is  my  end 
of  the  ship,  and  I  wouldn't  have  let  you  in  if  I 
hadn't  wanted  to  see  you.  How  are  —  those  two 
women,  this  morning?" 

"  Still  suffering,  I'm  afraid,  from  the  shock  of  our 
dreadful  experience.  I  —  I  haven't  seen  them  yet 
this  morning,  but  I  feel  sure  that  they're  both  bear- 
ing up  bravely.  I  must  thank  you  with  all  my  heart, 
Miss  Saleh,  for  your  great  kindness  to  us  in  our 
hour  of  trouble.  My  sister  and  Miss  Saxilby  will 
do  so  on  their  own  behalf  as  soon  as  they're  able. 
And,  meantime,  you  can  understand,  no  doubt,  how 
terribly  they're  distressed  over  the  loss  of  the  yacht 
—  and  all  those  poor  fellows'  lives.  It  was  purely 
providential  for  us  who  were  saved  that  Captain 
Dove—" 

"  Captain  Dove  was  below  in  his  bunk,  as  drunk 
as  an  owl,  when  we  sighted  you,"  Saleh  interrupted. 
Her  tone  was  coldly  contemptuous.  "  You  owe  it 
entirely  to  Mr.  Yoxall  that  the  arrangement  you 
made  in  New  York  for  transhipping  from  the 
Calixte  was  carried  out. 

"  And  let  me  tell  you,  Mr.  Gildersleeve,"  she  went 
on,  in  a  low,  tense  voice  before  which  he  shrank 
as  though  it  had  been  a  whip,  **  that  if  either  he  or 

103 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

I  had  known  then  that  you  had  scuttled  your  ship 
before  you  deserted  her,  we'd  have  stood  by  to  save 
those  poor  fellows  you  speak  so  feelingly  of,  and 
left  you  to  drown  —  like  the  rat  you  are !  " 

He  clutched  at  the  back  of  a  chair  to  steady  him- 
self, his  always  colorless  face  of  a  ghastly  pallor. 

"I  —  I  — "  he  began,  but  she  broke  in  again. 

"  You  needn't  trouble  to  lie  to  me.  I  know  all 
about  it,  you  see,  because, —  I'm  one  of  the  gang. 
I'm  one  that  you  can't  do  without,  too,  and,  for  the 
future,  you'll  make  no  arrangements  of  that  sort 
without  telling  me.  I  could  have  found  you  a  dozen 
far  better  ways  to  rid  yourself  of  your  yacht  and  the 
men  who  wouldn't  stand  in  with  us.  We'll  have  no 
more  murder  done  in  cold  blood,  Mr.  Gildersleeve." 

Eustace  Gildersleeve  lifted  a  trembling  hand, 
mutely  beseeching  her  to  be  silent,  and  Tommy,  still 
staring  out  at  him,  horror-stricken,  heard  someone 
else  knock  outside. 

"  Sit  down,"  said  the  girl  disdainfully.  "  Pull 
yourself  together  —  but  don't  forget  what  I've  said 
to  you."  And,  as  he  sank  limply  into  the  chair 
behind  him,  she  crossed  toward  the  doorway  that 
led  to  the  deck.  A  whispered  conversation  ensued 
there. 

Situated  as  he  was,  Tommy  could  see  nothing  of 
the  newcomer,  and  had  to  content  himself  with  a 
sufficiently  clear  view  of  Gildersleeve,  sitting  with 

104 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

head  averted,  eyes  fixed  upon  the  floor,  his  inter- 
locked fingers  twitching  nervously.  He  had  un- 
doubtedly been  very  badly  frightened  by  the  girl's 
abrupt  exposure  of  his  foul  secret,  and  Tommy,  ad- 
judging him  but  a  cowardly  schemer  at  best,  despised 
him  accordingly. 

"  Good  or  bad,  give  me  a  man''  said  Tommy 
scornfully  to  himself,  and  felt  sure  that  no  girl 
should  ever  scare  him  into  any  such  pitiful  state  of 
collapse.  But  when  he  thought  of  Eileen,  on  board 
this  mysterious  craft  and  in  such  company, —  his 
heart  had  almost  failed  him  in  anticipation  of  what 
she  might  have  to  say  to  him,  who  would  so  willingly 
have  given  his  own  life  to  retrieve  the  irretrievable 
past. 

A  sudden  half-strangled  ejaculation  recalled  his 
closer  attention  to  the  scene  without.  Eustace  Gil- 
dersleeve  had  got  up  from  his  chair,  stood  cowering, 
with  bent  knees,  hands  hanging  impotent,  staring 
like  one  obsessed  by  some  basilisk,  into  the  faintly 
amused  eyes  of  a  very  elegant,  smartly  dressed  man 
who  had  come  forward  behind  the  girl  and  stopped 
with  his  back  toward  Tommy. 

"  You !  "  said  Eustace  Gildersleeve,  in  an  explo- 
sive whisper,  and  the  man  laughed  aloud,  mockingly. 
It  was  seemingly  a  moment  of  triumph  for  him,  and 
he  meant  to  make  the  most  of  it.  At  any  rate  he 
did  not  vouchsafe  other  reply,  and  presently 

105 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Gildersleeve  straightened  up,  raised  a  hand  to  his 
dry  lips,  and  spoke  from  behind  it. 

"I  —  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  Slyne,"  he  said  shakily, 
his  tell-tale  mouth  masked,  his  eyelids  drooping  to 
hide  the  hate  that  would  show  itself  in  spite  of  him. 

"  You  look  it,"  returned  Jasper  Slyne,  with  less 
than  his  usual  suavity.  And  they  regarded  each 
other  in  silence  again  for  a  space,  Gildersleeve  re- 
gaining control  of  himself  the  while. 

"  Let's  get  to  an  understanding,"  said  Slyne  at 
length,  very  brusquely.  "  Saleh,  you  don't  mind  if 
we  talk  straight  business  for  half  an  hour  here? 
You  like  to  hear  all  that's  going  on!  " 

"  I'm  one  of  the  gang,"  the  girl  repeated,  "  and 
I've  told  the  others  already  that  they'd  better  not 
do  any  more  business  behind  my  back.  There's  been 
far  too  much  of  that  lately.  If  you  think  you  can 
get  on  without  me,  try  it  again.  I've  warned  you 
all  now." 

She  had  spoken  sharply,  but  Slyne  merely  smiled. 
And  his  smile  angered  her.  He  saw  that,  and  his 
features  instantly  assumed  a  more  serious  expression. 
Jasper  Slyne  rather  plumed  himself  on  his  perspi- 
cacity, and  especially  with  women. 

He  brought  forward  a  basket-chair  for  her,  but 
she  seated  herself  on  the  settee  so  that  they  should 
face  her,  their  backs  towards  the  stateroom  door 
whence  Tommy  Judson  was  watching  them  and 

106 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

listening  attentively  without  the  slightest  compunc- 
tion. Slyne  sat  down  in  the  chair  himself,  and 
Tommy  observed  that  he  wore  a  neat  black  bandage 
about  his  head,  almost  of  a  shade  with  his  hair.  He 
lifted  a  hand  to  this,  and  turned  on  Gildersleeve, 
frowning. 

"  I  got  the  note  you  left  for  me  in  your  library," 
he  said  crisply,  "  but,  by  good  luck,  I  met  that  fellow 
Ingersoll  at  the  foot  of  your  stair.  By  bad  luck  he 
slipped  through  my  fingers  or  I'd  have  laid  him  up 
for  six  months  to  come.  You  carried  Eileen  Saxilby 
off  on  the  Calixte  with  you.  Why  did  you  tell  me 
she  had  gone  with  him?  " 

The  elder  man  glanced  very  uneasily  over  at  the 
questioner,  with  a  sidelong  motion  of  his  head  toward 
the  girl. 

"  Oh,  Saleh's  all  right,"  Slyne  assured  him  easily. 
"  And  there's  no  use  trying  to  hide  anything  from 
her,  for  she'll  find  it  all  out  in  time,  one  way  or 
another.  So  we  may  as  well  speak  plainly.  Why 
did  you  tell  me  that  Eileen  had  gone  off  with  Inger- 
soll? What  was  your  object  in  seeking  to  start  me 
for  Europe  on  a  false  scent?" 

He  spoke  politely,  as  if  discussing  some  quite  im- 
personal matter,  but  with  a  quiet  insistence  that 
showed  that  he  was  not  to  be  put  off.  "  It  will  pay 
us  both  best  to'  be  perfectly  frank  with  each  other, 
now,"  he  said,  and  waited  patiently  for  a  reply. 

107 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Eustace  Gildersleeve  twisted  and  turned  in  his  seat, 
biting  his  thin  lips,  blinking  restless  eyes,  suspicious 
and  apprehensive.  The  incidents  of  the  immediate 
past  had  sadly  unnerved  him.  The  absolute  incon- 
gruity between  his  present  position  and  the  luxurious, 
ordered  life  which  had  formerly  been  his,  struck  him 
most  inopportunely.  He  had  suffered  sorely  of  late. 
A  sudden  craving  for  sympathy,  an  urgent  desire  to 
unburden  his  mind  of  the  troubles  that  were  too  heavy 
to  bear  any  longer  alone,  overcame  in  an  instant  all 
his  old  cunning  and  caution. 

"  I'll  tell  you  everything,  Slyne,"  he  said,  in  a 
spasm  of  self-pity. 

"  That's  the  only  way,"  urged  Slyne,  encourag- 
ingly. "  It's  the  worst  possible  policy  to  leave  your 
partner  on  the  outside." 

Eustace  Gildersleeve  opened  his  mouth  again  to 
speak,  but  seemed  to  find  it  extremely  difficult  to 
begin  what  he  had  to  say. 

"  You  know  how  much  we've  sunk  in  this  Nica- 
zuelan  business,"  he  gulped  at  last,  with  a  very  visible 
effort. 

"  Close  on  thirty  millions,"  Slyne  answered 
promptly.  "  Half  of  it  your  money,  the  other  half 
mine." 

"  I'm  not  nearly  so  well  off  as  you  are,  Slyne," 
said  the  gray-haired  millionaire  with  a  groan.  "  The 
half-share  I  provided  was  made  up  of  my  sister's 

108 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

money  as  well  as  my  own.  And  —  and  I  had  to  put 
in  the  greater  part  of  my  ward's  fortune,  too,  to 
make  up  the  amount.  I  had  no  option.  I  —  I  had 
lost  so  much  on  the  market. 

"  I'm  running  a  terrible  risk  at  present.  I've  sunk 
everything  —  everything,  in  this  scheme.  I've  only 
a  few  hundred  dollars  left  to  live  on  till  —  till  the 
profits  come  in.  And  that's  why  I  wanted  to  keep 
you  and  Eileen  apart,  for  the  time  being. 

"  You  shouldn't  have  forced  me  into  fixing  such 
an  early  date  for  your  wedding.  I  must  account 
to  her  for  her  estate  on  her  marriage,  and  —  you 
know  now  where  it  is.  But  she  doesn't.  So,  you 
must  wait  a  little  for  her  —  till  we  realize  on  our  in- 
vestment. You  can  understand  my  position,  can't 
you !  It  —  it's  not  a  very  pleasant  one,  but  you're 
going  to  help  me  out  of  it  —  as  you  helped  me  in. 
I'm  trusting  to  you  entirely,  Slyne  —  I  have  no  se- 
crets from  you.  Our  interests  are  identical.  You 
can  see  that  for  yourself!  " 

While  he  had  been  making  this  sorry  confession, 
Slyne  had  been  regarding  him  with  ever  increasing 
disfavor.  It  was  not  often  the  latter  allowed  his 
face  to  mirror  his  mind,  and  Eustace  Gildersleeve, 
knowing  this,  was  the  more  perturbed  by  his  expres- 
sion. 

'  You  told  me,  not  three  days  ago,  when  I  asked 
you  to  come  in  for  another  million,  that  the  trust 

109 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

estate  was  so  tied  you  couldn't  touch  it,"  said  Slyne 
in  a  vicious  snarl.  "  It  was  agreed,  wasn't  it,  that 
I  was  to  get  gilt-edged  securities  with  the  girl  to  the 
tune  of  four  millions?  It  was  by  dangling  that  bait 
before  me  that  you  induced  me  to  let  you  in  on  this 
deal.  By  God!  Gildersleeve,  you've  gone  over  the 
score  altogether  with  me." 

"  But  you'll  get  it  all  yet,"  Eustace  Gildersleeve 
urged  desperately.  "  You'll  get  it  all  yet.  I'll  pay 
it  over  to  her  in  cash  the  moment  we  lay  our  hands 
on  the  money  that's  due  us.  And,  after  all,  four 
millions  is  no  great  matter  to  you." 

His  furtive  eyes,  fixed  on  Slyne's  lowering  face, 
saw  something  there  that  gave  him  pause. 

"  You're  keeping  some  secret  from  me,  Slyne,"  he 
said,  in  a  changed  tone.  "  Tell  me  what  it  is.  But, 
as  you  hope  to  be  saved,  don't  tell  me  there's  any 
fear  of  our  failing  in  —  in  the  object  of  this  voyage." 

The  other  returned  no  immediate  answer,  and  he 
went  on  almost  in  a  whisper. 

"I  talked  it  all  over  with  Captain  Dove  —  he 
seems  a  capable  person  —  and  he's  confident  of  suc- 
cess. The  man  Moreno  who  has  the  plans  is  also 
on  board.  Dove's  crew,  and  those  I  recruited 
among  mine  on  the  Calixte,  are  the  right  sort  for 
such  work.  I  don't  think  there  should  be  any  doubt 
about  the  result 

no 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  But  you're  keeping  some  secret  from  me,  Slyne 
—  and  I've  been  quite  open  with  you  1  " 

Slyne's  savage  scowl  gave  place  again  to  a  mock- 
ing, malevolent  smile.  What  he  had  just  heard 
meant  that  all  his  most  cherished  plans  had  mis- 
carried at  the  last  moment,  but  he  was  already  re- 
covering from  the  shock  of  their  downfall.  This 
was  not  the  first  occasion  by  many  on  which  that  had 
happened,  and  he  was  not  wont  to  waste  time  in. 
futile  repining.  Heretofore  it  had  always  paid  him 
to  begin  rebuilding  at  once,  and  —  there  was  still 
some  chance  of  saving  the  situation.  But,  mean- 
time, Eustace  Gildersleeve,  the  supposedly  astute, 
prosperous  financier  who  had  so  very  grossly  de- 
ceived him  —  him,  of  all  people !  —  must  suffer  even 
as  he  had  suffered  at  the  first  shock.  He  resumed 
his  mask  of  polished  indifference,  spoke  in  a  suavely 
conversational  tone. 

"  It's  very  good  of  you,  Gildersleeve,  to  have  been 
so  open  with  me.  And  I  feel  glad  —  most  heartily 
glad,  believe  me  —  that  I  can  reciprocate,  even  at 
this  late  date.  You  have  my  sincere  sympathy  in 
your  most  unpleasant  predicament,  and  I  feel  sure 
you'll  be  no  less  sorry  for  me  when  I  tell  you  — 
How  much  money  did  you  say  you  had  saved  from 
the  wreck?  —  besides  those  securities  you  beguiled 
that  fool  Aylwin  into  giving  you  back.  It  was 

in 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

rather  lucky  for  you,  by  the  way,  that  he  put  him- 
self out  of  evidence  when  he  did !  " 

Eustace  Gildersleeve  had  leaned  forward,  was 
glaring  at  him  without  a  word,  in  direst  suspense, 
but  Jasper  Slyne's  half-closed  eyes,  meeting  his  most 
indifferently,  seemed  to  demand  a  reply  to  the  ques- 
tion. And  the  weaker  will  gave  way. 

"  Not  more  than  a  thousand  dollars  at  the  out- 
side," he  answered,  halving  the  real  amount,  by  sheer, 
mechanical  instinct.  "  And  —  the  securities  aren't 
negotiable  now.  It  wouldn't  be  —  safe.  You  don't 
seem  to  realize  in  the  least  how  hard-pressed  I  am 
and  what  shifts  I've  been  reduced  to.  Even  my  in- 
surance on  the  Callxte  must  go  to  meet  the  mortgage 
I  gave  on  her.  And  my  sister  had  to  sell  her  house 
to  help  me  keep  my  feet  till  I  can  realize.  I'm 
absolutely  destitute  now." 

"  But  you've  got  a  thousand  dollars  in  hand,"  said 
Slyne,  with  a  great  air  of  surprise.  "  You're  well  off ! 
Look  how  I'm  left  —  now  that  the  game's  up." 

He  pulled  from  a  pocket  in  his  immaculate  yacht- 
ing-coat a  very  thin  note-case,  and  carefully  displayed 
its  contents  —  perhaps  a  hundred  dollars  in  all. 

"  If  you  had  only  been  honest  with  me,"  he  re- 
marked, "  I  would  have  been  much  less  lavish  with 
my  hard  cash.  I  got  five  thousand  for  those  polo- 
ponies  of  Ingersoll's,  —  and  paid  it  away  at  cards. 
Now,  that's  all  I'm  worth  in  the  world." 

112 


CHAPTER  IX 

DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 

EUSTACE  GILDERSLEEVE  tried  to  rise 
to  his  feet,  but  he  could  not.     A  perfect  palsy 
of  passion  had  gripped  him.     He  was  trem- 
bling from  head  to  foot.     His  face  was  strangely 
distorted.     His  lips  moved,  soundlessly.     And  Jas- 
per Slyne  sat  watching  him,  satisfied.     For  Eustace 
Gildersleeve  had  very  grossly  deceived  him. 

Saleh  Harez  had  sat  perfectly  still,  listening 
critically  to  all  that  passed,  while  they  had  been 
speaking.  In  the  intensity  of  their  feelings  they  had 
forgotten  her  presence.  She  rose  and  set  a  glass  of 
water  before  Gildersleeve.  He  took  it  up  without  a 
word  and  drank  it  off,  his  teeth  chattering  against 
the  rim.  It  served  to  revive  him.  He  lay  quietly 
back  in  his  chair  for  a  time,  and  seemed  to  be 
thinking. 

"  I  don't  understand,"  he  muttered  exhaustedly, 
and  turned  again  to  Slyne.  "  YouVe  sunk  a  fortune 
in  this  scheme  as  well  as  I,"  he  said,  almost  dis- 
tracted, not  knowing  what  to  believe,  "  and  I  —  I 
—  I  understood  you  had  still  some  millions  behind 
your  back." 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Slyne  smiled  again,  most  unpleasantly. 

"  In  a  case  of  diamond  cut  diamond,"  he  an- 
swered, "  the  sharper  wins.  If  you  feel  it  will  do 
you  any  good,  you  may  call  me  the  sharper  in  this 
case." 

"  The  fact  of  the  matter  is,"  he  went  on,  affably 
patronizing  now  he  had  scored  his  point,  "  that 
you've  always  been  a  good  deal  out  of  your  depth  in 
my  company,  Gildersleeve.  Up  to  now  you've  la- 
bored under  the  pleasing  delusion  that  you're  too 
clever  for  me,  but  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  in  return 
for  your  own  tardy  frankness,  that  you  have  been 
much  mistaken.  I've  come  out  of  the  game  with  just 
about  as  much  as  I  put  into  it,  while  you  — "  He 
waved  his  empty  hands  in  expressive  pantomime. 

"  You  mean  to  infer  that  you're  an  impostor  —  a 
common  swindler?  "  asked  Eustace  Gildersleeve  in  a 
hopeless  monotone. 

"  Call  me  a  gentleman-adventurer  in  the  realm  of 
finance,"  Jasper  Slyne  suggested.  "  I'm  much  less 
common  than  such  unscrupulous  rascals  as  yourself, 
Gildersleeve,  and  you  know  that  without  my  telling 
you."  He  was  in  a  complacent  humor  now,  much 
inclined  to  make  a  jest  of  the  past  which  had  cost 
him  nothing. 

But  his  confederate  was  in  no  such  mirthful  mood. 
Eustace  Gildersleeve  was  recalling,  with  painful  dis- 
tinctness, how  he  himself,  on  the  strength  of  a  few 

"4 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

seemingly  satisfactory  inquiries,  had  first  stood  spon- 
sor, among  the  financially  elect  of  New  York,  for 
this  self-confessed  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing;  how 
he  had  been  lured,  step  by  step,  into  that  most 
promising  scheme  which  was  to  have  doubled  his 
sadly  shrunken  capital,  which  had  culminated  — 
thus;  and,  worst  of  all,  how  his  credulous  folly, 
as  he  called  it  in  his  own  mind,  had  carried  him  far 
across  the  border,  so  narrow  in  many  instances  as 
to  be  almost  invisible,  that  stands  between  *  smart 
business  '  and  —  crime. 

He  had  been  outwitted  at  every  turn,  by  one  whom 
he  in  his  heart  had  despised  for  a  fool!  He  was 
willing  to  believe  the  worst  now,  but  he  still  wanted 
details. 

"  I  hold  President  Casado's  receipts  for  close  on 
thirty  millions,"  he  said,  "  half  of  it  my  money,  the 
other  half  yours.  He  cabled  me  before  I  sent  mine 
on  that  you  had  already  paid  into  the  Banco  de 
Nicazuela  your  share  of  our  joint  loan  to  him.  I 
wired  the  manager  of  the  bank,  a  man  Waples,  and 
he  confirmed  that  statement.  The  papers  next  day 
reported  that  a  big  consignment  of  specie  had  just 
arrived  there  from  New  York.  How  do  you  ac- 
count for  these  facts?" 

Slyne  smiled,  superciliously. 

"  Casado  and  I  are  old  friends,"  he  returned. 
"  We've  been  planning  this  little  coup  for  some  time 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

past.  He  runs  the  republic  pretty  well  single- 
handed,  and  Waples  wouldn't  be  in  the  Banco  de 
Nicazuela  if  he  weren't  under  Casado's  thumb.  You 
may  be  sure  that  Waples  had  orders  not  to  break  the 
seals  of  the  specie-boxes  I  sent  him.  When  he  does 
he  won't  be  overwhelmed  with  surprise  at  what  he 
finds  in  them.  And  he,  of  course,  worked  the  news- 
agency. 

"  If  Casado  had  only  kept  faith  with  me,  you 
wouldn't  be  here  —  you'd  no  doubt  be  under  lock  and 
key  in  New  York,  awaiting  your  trial  on  the  charge 
of  having  embezzled  trust  funds  —  and  I  wouldn't 
be  telling  you  these  state  secrets.  But,  like  yourself, 
he's  been  laboring  under  the  pleasing  delusion  that 
he's  too  clever  for  me,  and,  having  laid  hands  on 
the  plunder  while  I  delayed  a  few  days  in  order  to 
marry  your  ward  and  so  make  sure  of  the  extra  four 
millions  that  should  have  meant  to  me,  he's  made 
up  his  mind  that  he  can  dispense  with  me  now  and 
annex  my  share.  So  that,  after  all,  I  must  throw 
in  my  lot  with  you. 

"  You've  acted  very  crookedly  with  me,  Gilder- 
sleeve,"  he  said  severely,  "  but  I'm  willing  to  forget 
that  if  you'll  run  straight  for  the  future.  Our  only 
chance  now  lies  in  working  together.  And  I'll  wash 
my  hands  of  the  whole  business,  here  and  now, 
unless  — " 

116 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  But  I  have  Casado's  written  promise,  endorsed 
by  his  Minister  of  Finance,  to  pay  cent  per  cent  on 
the  money  —  the  whole  thirty  millions  —  this  month, 
when  he  gets  the  big  German  loan  his  agent  in 
Berlin  has  been  negotiating,"  Eustace  Gildersleeve  in- 
terrupted despairingly.  "  Crosschild's  manager  in 
New  York  told  me  he  knew  for  certain  it  would  still 
go  through,  as  soon  as  the  Portuguese  trouble's  set- 
tled. If  the  President  fails  to  pay  me  in  person  on 
the  due  date,  and  —  if  we  can't  frighten  him  into 
doing  so,  I  —  I'll  appeal  to  Washington." 

"  Oh,  no,  you  won't,"  Slyne  retorted.  "  It 
wouldn't  suit  any  of  us  —  and  you  least  of  all  —  to 
give  the  show  away  to  old  Uncle  Sam.  We  can't 
afford,  you  and  I,  to  send  our  dirty  linen  to  Wash- 
ington. Just  bear  that  in  mind  —  will  you,  Gilder- 
sleeve?  If  you  try  any  such  trick,  I'll  set  the  courts 
on  the  track  of  those  vanished  trust  funds." 

Eustace  Gildersleeve  squirmed  in  his  seat,  and 
Slyne  surveyed  him  triumphantly.  It  pleased  the 
scoundrel  to  prove  that  he  held  the  whip-hand  over 
his  too  cunning  accomplice. 

"You've  got  all  the  papers  with  you?"  he  de- 
manded, and  the  elder  man  nodded  sullenly.  "  And 
you've  got  cash  enough  to  go  on  with.  We  must 
keep  Dove  sweet,  you  see,  till  we  find  out  how  the 
land  lies.  And  once  Saleh  gets  the  plans  of  that 

117 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

place  from  Moreno  — "  He  gazed  reflectively 
across  at  the  girl  on  the  couch,  and  she  returned  his 
glance  silently. 

"  You  mustn't  lose  any  more  time,  Saleh,"  he  said 
in  a  reproving  tone.  "  Get  him  on  a  short  string 
at  once  —  you  can,  quite  easily,  if  you  like  —  and 
find  out  what  we  want  to  know.  We'll  make  it  well 
worth  your  while." 

"  Leave  my  part  to  me,"  she  answered  in- 
differently. 

"  We'll  make  it  well  worth  your  while,"  Slyne  re- 
peated, and  turned  toward  Gildersleeve  again. 

u  It's  a  very  good  thing  for  you,"  he  said,  "  that 
I  got  on  board,  in  spite  of  the  trick  you  tried  to 
play  me.  before  the  Olive  Branch  sailed.  For  I'm 
going  to  get  our  money  out  of  Casado.  And  with- 
out me  you  might  just  as  well  have  made  up  your 
mind  to  put  up  with  the  loss  of  it.  For  you  must 
admit  that  I've  supplied  the  brains  in  our  partner- 
ship " —  He  chuckled  reminiscently  as  Gildersleeve 
glowered  at  him  — "  and  it's  by  brains,  not  bluff,  that 
we'll  circumvent  Casado. 

"  Then,  after  all  expenses,  are  paid,"  he  continued, 
"  we'll  set  aside  sufficient  to  meet  your  ward's  claim 
on  you.  And  whatever  balance  we  may  have  on 
hand  will  be  equally  divided  between  you  and  me. 
We'll  go  for  our  thirty  millions,  of  course,  but  we'll 
take  what  we  can  get — whether  it's  more  or  less. 

118 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Then  I'll  marry  Eileen  —  since  you  won't  have  me, 
Saleh,  you  foolish  girl !  "  He  looked  languishingly 
over  at  her.  "  What  a  pair  we'd  make,  you  and  I, 
with  my  brains  and  your  beauty  to  bank  on !  "  he 
sighed  soulfully.  "  There's  nothing  we  couldn't  ac- 
complish together  —  I'd  have  you  on  a  real  throne 
before  you  could  think,  if  you'd  only  say  the  word. 
How'd  you  like  to  be  Queen  of  Nicazuela,  eh, 
Saleh?" 

"  I'd  rather  beg  in  the  gutter,  without  you,"  she 
answered,  with  the  most  perfect  sang-froid,  and 
Jasper  Slyne  laughed  as  though  she  had  paid  him 
a  compliment. 

"  Then  I'll  marry  Eileen  Saxilby,"  he  asserted 
again,  "  and  she  shall  wear  the  crown  diamonds !  " 

"  You  seem  to  be  pretty  sure  that  we'll  get  —  our 
money  back,"  Gildersleeve  broke  in,  glancing  askance 
at  the  reckless  rascal  who  had  so  lightly  disposed  of 
the  grave  issues  still  to  be  settled. 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,"  answered  Slyne,  still  laughing, 
"  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  now  that  we've  cleared 
off  old  scores  —  you  tricked  me  very  cleverly,  Gil- 
dersleeve, but  you  must  confess  that  I'm  not  the  only 
one  who's  been  hoodwinked  —  I  don't  mind  telling 
you  that,  with  a  team  like  ours,  it's  odds  against 
Fermin  Casado.  We'll  get  our  good  money  back 
from  him,  though  not  because  of  any  paper  promise 
of  his,  believe  me !  But  we'll  get  it  back,  and  with 

119 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

interest, —  or  I'll  give  Eileen  up.  And  I  wouldn't 
do  that  for  twice  the  amount.  It's  clearly  under- 
stood that,  if  we're  successful,  she  marries  me, 
eh?" 

"  She  may  marry  whom  she  pleases,  once  I've  re- 
covered my  feet,"  returned  Eustace  Gildersleeve 
gloomily,  and  Slyne,  quite  satisfied  with  that  assur- 
ance, continued,  no  less  cheerfully. 

"  So  that  I've  got  a  pretty  big  stake  in  the  busi- 
ness, you  see,  and  I'll  undertake  that  my  side  won't 
come  out  losers.  I  think  I  can  promise  you  that 
we'll  find  means  to  make  Casado  dole  out  the  doub- 
loons —  even  although  Jose  Maria  Moreno's  crude 
little  scheme  should  fall  flat.  It's  really  too  low- 
class  to  suit  me  —  rank  robbery,  neither  more  nor 
less  —  not  the  sort  of  thing  that  a  gentleman  would 
care,  to  be  mixed  up  in.  But  I've  got  another  string 
to  my  bow,  and,  while  we  all  pull  together  —  Ah! 
Here's  Captain  Dove.  Morning,  Captain!  How 
are  you,  after  last  night's  symposium?  We  left  a 
good  many  dead  marines  on  the  field  of  battle,  eh? 
We  must  have  got  through  at  least  a  dozen  of  your 
champagne!  " 

Captain  Dove  eyed  him,  grimly  enough,  from  the 
doorway,  whence  that  individual  had  been  regarding 
the  trio  within  the  cabin  for  some  little  time,  unseen 
except-  by-  the,  girl., 

"  You  seem  pretty  conversational !  "  he  growled 
120 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

unamiably.  "  I  just  hope  you  haven't  been  letting 
your  tongue  wag  too  free.  Has  Saleh  told  you 
yet  about  the  Wild  Man  from  Borneo  she  fished 
up  out  of  the  sea  last  night?  Where Ve  you  got  him 
stowed  away,  Saleh  ?  " 

He  glanced  round  the  cabin,  frowning,  and  the 
other  two  regarded  the  girl  with  angry  suspicion  as 
she  rose  and  crossed  quietly  to  the  stateroom  door. 

She  opened  it  and  looked  in.  The  others  also 
could  see  Tommy  Judson,  extremely  unkempt  and 
disreputable-looking  with  his  bandaged  head,  lying 
stretched  on  the  sofa  there,  sound  asleep.  She  shook 
him.  He  uttered  a  weary  groan,  and  sat  up,  rub- 
bing his  eyes. 

"  Who's  that  chap  ?  "  demanded  Slyne  with  a  puz- 
zled scowl,  as  she  turned  and  faced  them  again  from 
the  doorway. 

"  It  doesn't  much  matter  who  he  is,"  Dove 
growled,  since  she  did  not  seem  disposed  to  reply  to 
the  question.  "  Saleh  calls  him  her  Sleeping 
Beauty!  " 

The  girl  reddened,  but  returned  no  answer  to  the 
coarse  gibe,  and  he  swung  about  with  a  grunt. 

"If  you  two  will  come  along  to  the  chart-room," 
he  said,  including  Slyne  and  Gildersleeve  in  a  per- 
emptory nod,  "  and  keep  in  mind  for  the  future 
that  this  end  of  the  ship's  private  —  we'll  maybe 
find  something  there  that'll  cool  our  throats.  It's 

121 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

gone  eight  bells  this  good  forty  minutes,  Slyne.  I 
was  waiting  for  you  !  " 

They  followed  him,  somewhat  shamefacedly,  with- 
out a  word,  greatly  disturbed  at  the  thought  that 
their  recent  mutual  disclosures  might  all  have  been 
overheard.  But  Slyne  paused  on  the  point  of  de- 
parture to  throw  a  kiss  to  Saleh,  and  she  smiled 
carelessly  back  at  him. 

The  moment  he  had  disappeared,  however,  she 
turned  to  Tommy  with  a  troubled  face. 

"  You  weren't  really  asleep,  were  you  ? "  she 
asked  doubtfully,  and  he  shook  his  head  with  a  grin. 
But  this  almost  immediately  gave  place  to  an  ex- 
pression as  grave  as  hers.  He  had  been  very  wide 
awake  to  each  slightest  detail  of  the  strange  confer- 
ence which  had  just  taken  place.  And  he  had  not 
augured  any  good  to  himself  from  Captain  Dove's 
contemptuous  reference  to  him. 

This  would  not  have  cost  him  more  than  a  passing 
thought,  but  for  the  fact  that  upon  him  now  depended 
whatever  possibility  there  might  still  be  of  saving 
Eileen  from  the  clutch  of  the  scoundrelly  Slyne.  She 
was  very  close  in  his  toils  already  and  Tommy  Judson 
was  altogether  at  his  wits'  end  to  know  how  she  was 
to  be  extricated.  He  had  no  illusions  as  to  what 
her  fate  would  be  if  he  himself  failed  her  now. 

It  was  no  time  for  hesitation,  and  he  could  see 
no  recourse  but  to  take  Saleh  Harez  into  his  con- 
fidence. She  had  already  befriended  him  so  effectu- 

122 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ally  that  he  thought  he  might  safely  trust  her  not 
to  betray  him.  And  some  instinct  told  him  that  she 
would  do  more  for  him  than  for  —  Slyne,  for  in- 
stance. 

So,  without  wasting  a  moment,  since  moments 
might  well  be  precious,  "  I  say,  Miss  Saleh,"  said 
he,  "  I  haven't  had  much  of  a  chance  yet  to  thank 
you  for  saving  my  life,  and  —  I  want  to  thank  you, 
with  all  my  heart.  I  wish  I  could  do  something 
practical  to  prove  that  I'm  not  ungrateful  to  you  — 
but  instead  of  that  I'm  going  to  ask  you  to  do  me 
another  good  turn.  I've  no  one  else  to  look  to,  you 
see,  and  —  I'm  in  a  whole  peck  of  trouble  just  now." 

Her  face  lighted  up  and  he  felt  that  his  instinct 
had  not  led  him  far  astray. 

"  Call  me  Saleh,  then,  like  everyone  else  does,"  she 
pouted,  no  more  than  a  young  girl  for  all  her  mien 
of  a  princess,  "  and  tell  me  what  it  is  you  want  me 
to  do." 

A  colored  woman,  a  stunted,  misshapen  creature, 
entered  the  cabin  while  she  was  speaking,  and  spread 
a  white  cloth  over  the  table.  He  would  have 
waited,  but  the  girl  told  him  to  go  on. 

"  Ambrizette  won't  repeat  anything,"  she  ex- 
plained, "  because  she  can't.  She's  dumb."  And 
presently  she  motioned  him  to  sit  down  to  the  meal 
that  had  been  set.  There  were  covers  laid  for  two. 

He  had  already  plunged  into  a  disconnected  ac- 
count of  Eileen  Saxilby's  most  unhappy  plight.  Am- 

123 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

brizette  waited  noiselessly  and  he  talked  on  while  he 
ate  whatever  was  put  before  him.  He  was  too 
much  engrossed  with  his  plea  to  notice  that  Saleh's 
eyes  had  grown  cold  and  hard. 

But  she  heard  it  out  in  silence,  and,  when  he  had 
finished,  she  asked,  "  What  is  she  to  you,  this  Eileen 
Saxilby?"  And  he  answered,  angrily,  "What  do 
you  mean !  Have  I  not  told  you  that  she  was  en- 
gaged to  marry  my  friend  Ingersoll?  " 

She  sat  looking  straight  into  his  eyes  for  a  time, 
but  they  did  not  fall  before  hers.  He  felt  that  his 
plea  had  failed,  and  had  no  more  to  say.  The  black 
woman  brought  him  a  box  of  cigars,  and  he  picked 
one  out,  but  he  did  not  light  it.  He  sipped  at  his 
coffee  instead,  for  his  head  was  swimming,  felt 
strangely  heavy,  although  he  had  drunk  nothing 
stronger  than  water. 

Saleh  seemed  very  far  away.  .  .  .  She 
was  still  looking  into  his  eyes,  but  from  the  other 
side  of  a  mile-wide  chasm.  .  .  .  She  crossed 
it,  instantly,  and,  leaning  over  him,  her  lips  moved. 
.  .  .  A  grief-stricken  voice  cried  dimly,  and  once 
more  from  a  great  distance,  "  That  old  devil's  done 
for  you,  after  all!  " 

The  thud-thud-thud  of  the  screw  propeller  almost 
immediately  underneath  him  slowed  down  and 
stopped.  Darkness  descended  upon  him.  And 
then  he  felt  warm  rain  on  his  fevered  face. 

124 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  ANSWER  AMBRIZETTE   BROUGHT 

TOMMY  felt  warm  rain  on  his  fevered  face, 
and  moved  his  head  a  little,  with  a  low 
moan.  A  cool  breath  fanned  his  wet  fore- 
head. 

He  looked  laboriously  up  into  the  darkness 
through  which  he  had  last  seen  Saleh,  weeping.  But 
she  was  no  longer  there.  A  single  star,  very  high 
overhead,  was  all  he  could  now  discern,  though  he 
was  still  conscious  of  falling  tears. 

The  ship  seemed  to  be  at  rest,  but  that  it  rose  and 
sank  on  the  swell  with  a  slow,  regular  swing  that  was 
very  soothing.  He  drowsed  away  again  for  a  time, 
and  woke  again,  to  the  certainty  that  he  was  neither 
dead  nor  dying  as  he  had  supposed.  On  the  con- 
trary, his  strength  was  returning  rapidly,  in  the  open 
air.  With  a  sudden  effort  he  raised  himself  on  one 
elbow.  And  presently  fell  back  again,  struck  all  of 
a  heap. 

He  was  no  longer  on  board  the  Olive  Branch,  but 
lying  in  the  stern-sheets  of  a  small  open  boat,  alone, 
on  an  empty  ocean.  A  cold,  white  moon  had 

125 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

emerged  from  behind  the  loose,  low-lying  cloud  from 
which  a  few  rain-drops  had  fallen  on  him  as  it  tra- 
versed the  void  above.  That  and  the  twinkling 
stars  alone  were  visible,  look  where  he  would. 

He  bit  at  one  of  his  thumbs  to  assure  himself  that 
he  was  really  awake,  and  wrung  his  hand,  for  the 
test  had  hurt.  Then  he  struggled  into  a  sitting  pos- 
ture, and  stayed  in  that  for  some  time,  his  chin  on 
his  chest,  his  knees  clasped  tight  in  both  arms,  striv- 
ing after  some  sane  explanation  of  his  most  astound- 
ing predicament.  But  he  could  educe  none  plausible 
enough  to  pass  muster. 

'He  turned  over  on  to  his  knees  and  peered  about 
him,  in  search  of  some  clue.  Nor  had  he  very  far 
to  seek,  although  that  which  he  found  only  added 
to  his  confusion.  It  was  the  name  carved,  inside, 
round  the  elliptical  stern  —  Calixte  s.  y.  New  York. 

He  knelt  there  for  a  full  minute,  fixedly  studying 
the  letters  cut  deep  into  the  teak.  He  traced  them 
with  a  trembling  finger,  to  make  quite  sure.  But, 
stare  as  he  might,  he  could  make  neither  more  nor 
less  of  them.  He  shook  his  head,  most  forlornly, 
and,  facing  about,  crept  shakily  forward  to  find  out 
what  gear  there  might  be  on  board,  and  frighten 
away  the  dumb,  unfriendly  ghosts  of  those  men  who 
had  foundered  with  the  ill-fated  Calixte.  It  was 
very  eerie  there  alone  with  them  on  the  face  of  the 
waters. 

126 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

There  were  oars  and  a  mast,  he  could  see,  and  a 
sail  lay  huddled  under  the  midship  thwarts.  He 
pulled  that  toward  him,  and  so  uncovered  a  face 
.  .  .  a  girl's  face,  very  fair  in  the  moonlight 
which  looked  up  into  his  wide,  bewildered  eyes  with 
a  faint,  amused,  sleepy  smile.  For  an  instant  he 
thought  he  was  dreaming. 

And,  while  his  lips  were  still  shaping  themselves 
to  pronounce  her  name,  she  had  brushed  the  sail 
aside  and  sat  up,  all  encased  in  an  oilskin  coat,  her 
wealth  of  hair  tucked  away  under  a  sou'-wester,  no 
less  alluring  in  that  strange  guise  than  she  had 
seemed  in  her  silken  robe  and  the  sunshine  of  yes- 
terday. 

"  I  must  have  fallen  asleep,"  she  said,  in  a  voice 
most  comfortably  matter-of-fact,  "  although  I  didn't 
intend  to.  I  lay  down  just  for  a  little,  and  —  I 
hadn't  closed  my  eyes  since  we  left  New  York.  How 
do  you  feel  now,  Tommy?  More  like  yourself?  " 

"  My  head's  in  a  hopeless  muddle,"  replied 
Tommy  Judson,  hoarsely,  amazed  beyond  all  ex- 
pression. "  I  don't  understand.  .  .  ." 

"  That's  not  to  be  wondered  at,"  she  assured  him 
soothingly.  "  The  Old  Man  doctored  your  food, 
you  know  —  he's  up  to  all  sorts  of  poisonous  dodges 
—  and  you've  been  all  but  across  the  line." 

"  But  where's  the  Olive  Branch?  How  do  we 
come  to  be  here?"  he  demanded,  in  a  husky  whis- 

127 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

per,  looking  disconsolately  about  him.  The  silver 
sheen  of  the  sea  was  hurting  his  eyes. 

"  Lie  back  and  make  yourself  comfortable,"  Saleh 
advised.  "  You  don't  look  any  too  brisk  yet.  And 
I'll  tell  you  how  it  all  happened,  to  pass  the  time." 

She  rose,  and,  leaning  over  the  thwart  between 
them,  thrust  him  gently  backward.  He  yielded  to 
her,  and  lay  limply  down  again  in  the  stern-sheets. 
He  felt  weak  and  ill  —  which  was  not  unnatural, 
after  all  he  had  undergone  in  addition  to  the  dire 
effects  of  the  potent  drug  Captain  Dove  had  admin- 
istered to  him.  But  he  had  no  time  to  think  of  him- 
self: he  was  consumed  by  a  burning  anxiety  as  to 
Eileen  Saxilby's  welfare  without  him. 

"  Where's  the  Olive  Branch? "  he  insisted  per- 
emptorily. "  How  in  heaven's  name  do  we  come 
to  be  here  —  you  and  I  —  in  this  boat,  with  the 
Calixte's  name  on  it !  " 

"  Listen,"  Saleh  commanded,  "  and  let  me  talk. 
It's  simple  enough,  once  you  hear  what  happened 
after  you  fell  to  the  Old  Man's  medicine. 

"  To  begin  with,  Jasper  Slyne  recognized  you. 
He  recollected  after  he  left  us,  that  he  had  seen  you 
with  your  friend  Ingersoll,  and  then  with  that  Sax- 
ilby  girl,  at  some  dance  in  New  York.  It's  a  good 
thing  he  did  recognize  you  —  or  you'd  have  got  a 
dose  strong  enough  to  finish  you  right  away. 

"  But  he  and  Gildersleeve  wanted  to  find  out  all  you 
128 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

could  tell  them  first  —  seeing  you  there,  they  thought 
that  Ingersoll  as  well  might  be  on  their  track 
—  and,  to  do  that,  they  had  to  get  you  away  from 
me.  So  the  Old  Man  mixed  enough  of  some  drug 
in  the  curry  —  he  knows  I  never  touch  that  —  to 
stretch  you  for  the  time  being,  and,  very  soon  after 
you  keeled  over,  he  came  aft  with  a  couple  of  deck 
hands,  to  carry  you  off  —  said  you  must  be  slipped 
overside  at  once,  while  the  ship  was  stopped.  She 
had  hove  to  again,  with  something  wrong  in  the  en- 
gine-room. 

"  By  that  time,  though,  I  had  got  my  wits  back, 
and  I  thought  you  mightn't  be  quite  as  dead  as  you 
looked  —  you  did  really  look  stone-dead,  you  know, 
and  you  were  as  cold  as  a  corpse.  The  Old  Man's 
an  artist  with  those  blue  bottles  of  his ! 

"  Anyhow,  I  had  you  lying  in  state  on  the  cabin 
table,  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes  spread  over  you, 
and  I  told  him  there  was  no  such  tearing  hurry.  I 
told  him  that  I  intended  to  keep  you  there  till  next 
morning  —  and  he'd  be  welcome  to  bury  you  then, 
if  he  wanted  to. 

"  He  talked  pretty  big  and  fierce  to  me,  but  I 
wouldn't  budge.  And  he  didn't  dare  to  drive  me 
too  hard,  with  Rube  Yoxall  still  close  at  hand.  So, 
in  the  end,  he  went  off  to  tell  the  others  they'd  get 
you  all  in  good  time,  and  what  he'd  do  to  you  him- 
self after  they  were  through  with  their  inquisition. 

129 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Jasper  Slyne  and  he  got  soused  to  the  scuppers,  drink- 
ing a  slow  death  to  you  —  it  was  you  who  gave 
Jasper  a  sore  head  with  a  hammer  or  something  the 
night  we  sailed,  wasn't  it? 

"  I  knew,  of  course,  that  when  they'd  sobered  up 
again  they'd  be  in  no  temper  to  stand  any  more  in- 
terference from  me,  and  that  you'd  be  feeding  the 
fishes  very  soon  after.  And  I  fetched  Rube  Yoxall 
along  to  help  me.  He  wouldn't,  at  first,  but  —  I 
can  manage  Rube,  too. 

"  He  got  you  to  swallow  some  brandy,  which 
showed  that  you  weren't  beyond  recall,  but,  do  what 
we  might,  you  wouldn't  open  your  eyes:  and  you've 
kept  them  shut  till  now.  I  had  hard  work  to  get 
him  to  set  us  afloat,  but  he  did  that,  too,  in  the  end 
—  for  me.  This  is  the  boat  that  we  picked  Eustace 
Gildersleeve  and  his  people  up  in  after  they  deserted 
the  yacht.  Rube  took  it  on  board  at  the  time  — 
which  was  lucky  for  us!  It  was  my  only  chance, 
you  see,  to  get  you  out  of  the  Old  Man's  clutches. 
He's  a  good  sort,  Rube!  far  too  good  to  thrive  on 
the  Olive  Branch. 

"  She's  been  out  of  sight  for  close  on  a  couple  of 
hours.  They  got  the  engines  going  again  very  soon 
after  we  had  lowered  you  over  the  stern,  and  no  one 
noticed  that  they  had  left  anything  behind.  But 
she's  at  half-speed  still  —  and  none  so  far  away. 
So  we'll  make  sail  now,  if  you  feel  fit  to  lend  me  a 

130 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

hand.  When  Captain  Dove  finds  out  that  I've  de- 
serted there'll  be  the  devil  to  payl  " 

She  got  to  her  feet  and  gazed  about  her  with  keen, 
apprehensive  eyes:  although  it  was  not  for  herself 
that  she  feared.  But  the  heaving  world  of  water 
which  hemmed  them  in  was  empty  still.  And 
Tommy  Judson  could  almost  have  cried  aloud  as  he, 
too,  looked  in  vain  for  any  sign  of  that  ill-omened 
craft  on  board  which  Eileen  Saxilby  was  in  such 
peril.  He  would  have  given  ten  years  of  his  life  to 
be  back  on  the  Olive  Branch,  but  as  things  had 
fallen  out,  it  would  have  been  futile  to  board  her 
again  even  had  that  been  possible,  and  it  would  have 
been  base  ingratitude  to  repine  over  Saleh's  precipi- 
tate action  on  his  behalf,  since  to  that  he  undoubt- 
edly owed  all  the  years  of  life  left  him.  He  had 
no  illusions  as  to  what  would  have  happened  had 
not  she  befriended  him  so  effectually.  He  had  no 
illusions  either  as  to  what  would  happen  to  Eileen  if 
he  could  not  find  means  somehow  to  save  her.  But 
how? 

He  could  have  cried  aloud  in  his  stress  of  mind, 
but  restrained  himself  with  a  great  effort  and  got  up 
to  help  Saleh.  Together  they  stepped  the  mast,  set 
the  lugsail,  and  having  made  all  fast  forward,  crept 
aft  together.  What  breeze  there  was  came  from  east 
of  north,  and  was  colder  now.  A  thin  haze  had 
overspread  the  moon. 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Tommy  took  the  tiller,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and 
Saleh  snuggled  close  up  to  him,  with  a  little  laugh  of 
contentment.  But  he  sat  very  quiet  in  his  place, 
looking  straight  ahead,  at  the  swelling,  sinking  hol- 
low and  hill  of  the  gray,  mysterious  sea. 

"  I  wish  we  had  got  Eileen  Saxilby  away  with  us, 
Saleh,"  said  he  after  a  long  interval,  and  Saleh 
stared  intently  at  him  for  a  time. 

"  Why?  "  she  asked,  in  a  low  voice,  and  he  turned 
toward  her. 

"  I  don't  think  you  need  ask  me  that !  "  said  he, 
in  a  tone  of  surprise. 

"  I  couldn't  possibly  have  managed  it,"  she  told 
him.  "  I'd  have  tried  —  perhaps  —  but  for  the  old 
woman,  Gildersleeve's  sister.  I  sent  her  a  message 
from  you,  though, —  and  I  asked  Rube  Yoxall  to  do 
anything  he  could  for  her.", 

"  What  message  ?  "         <>* 

"  I  cut  a  curl  from  your  hair  while  you  were  un- 
conscious, and  got  Ambrizette  to  give  it  to  her  with- 
out the  old  woman  seeing." 

"  She  wouldn't  know  where  it  came  from  or  what 
it  meant,"  Tommy  Judson  asserted,  and  the  faint, 
horseshoe-shaped  frown  on  Saleh's  forehead  was 
smoothed  away. 

"  Women  aren't  so  clever  as  men,"  she  returned, 
mocking  him  with  a  low,  light  laugh,  "  but  —  she 
sent  her  answer  back." 

132 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"What  answer?"  he  urged  impatiently,  and  she 
drew  from  within  the  breast  of  her  coat  a  long  lock 
of  amber  hair. 

Tommy  took  it  from  her,  tenderly. 

"  Poor  little  girl!  "  said  he,  and  the  words  were 
very  compassionate.  "  That  was  a  kind  thought  of 
yours,  Saleh.  I  wish  I  could  thank  you  better  for 
all  you've  done." 

"  You  may  thank  Ambrizette  for  that  anyhow," 
she  answered  indifferently,  and  looked  on,  somber- 
eyed,  while  he  tucked  the  lock  of  hair  carefully  away 
in  a  pocket.  But  he  did  not  observe  her  expression. 
He  was  looking  straight  ahead  again,  his  mind  oc- 
cupied with  the  almost  incredible  incidents  of  that 
short  past  which  had  slipped  away  since  Ingersoll 
and  he  had  set  forth  from  his  studio  in  Twenty- 
third  Street.  And  there  was  also  the  future,  dark, 
threatening,  inchoate,  to  be  faced.  With  the 
present,  shaping  itself,  he  was  not  concerned  at 
all. 

"  What  are  Slyne  and  Dove  and  Gildersleeve  go- 
ing to  do  down  in  Nicazuela?  "  he  asked  after  some 
reflection,  and  she  drew  closer  again.  She  had  edged 
a  little  away  from  him. 

"  You  heard  what  was  said  in  the  cabin,"  she 
pointed  out:  "  how  Jasper  Slyne  tricked  Gildersleeve 
into  lending  all  he  had  —  and  more  —  to  Casado, 
the  President  —  and  got  tricked  himself  in  return,  by 

J33 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

both  Gildersleeve  and  Casado.  They're  going  to  get 
that  money  back  now." 

"But  how?  Tell  me  all  about  it,  Saleh.  I'd 
give  a  good  deal  to  know  exactly  what  their  plans 
are." 

"  I  will,  if  you'll  promise  that  all  you've  heard 
and  all  I  may  tell  you  shall  be  a  secret  between  us. 
You  must  do  that,  for  I've  trusted  you,  and  —  you 
can't  go  back  on  me  now." 

"  I  won't  go  back  on  you,  Saleh,"  said  Tommy 
Judson,  and  with  that  simple  assurance  she  was 
content. 

"  All  about  it's  a  good  long  story,"  she  began, 
"  and  I'd  better  tell  you  first  how  Captain  Dove  and 
I  and  the  Olive  Branch  come  to  be  mixed  up  in  it." 

She  took  thought  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  then : 
"  Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  Mousme,  Tommy?  — 
and  Butcher  Brown?  "  she  asked  in  a  timid  tone. 

"  I  have,"  he  answered,  recalling  the  terrible  tale 
of  that  sea-tragedy  which  had  made  these  names  in- 
famous throughout  the  civilized  world. 

"  The  Mousme' s  the  Olive  Branch  now,"  she  said, 
"and  —  Butcher  Brown's,  Captain  Dove." 

Tommy  Judson  wriggled  uncomfortably  in  his 
seat. 

"  Were  you  on  board  then  ?  "  he  demanded,  his 
voice  very  harsh  in  spite  of  himself,  and  she  shivered. 

"  I've  been  on  board  ever  since  she  was  built,  and 
'34 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

on  his  old  ship  before.  I  was  only  a  child  then,  and 
—  that  day  —  he  had  me  locked  below  —  in  my 
room." 

Tommy  said  nothing  more,  since  he  could  say 
nothing  that  would  have  helped  her,  and  after  a 
pause  she  went  on  again. 

"  He's  changed  names  two  or  three  times  since 
then,  and  kept  mostly  on  the  other  side  of  the  world. 
But  we  were  on  the  Carribean  coast  for  a  time  as  the 
Reconqulsta" 

Tommy  nodded.  He  had  heard  of  the  Recon- 
qulsta, also,  among  his  sea-faring  friends,  and 
nothing  at  all  to  her  credit.  He  could  scarcely  con- 
ceive, indeed,  that  the  young  girl  sitting  beside  him 
had  lived  through  such  scenes  as  must  have  been 
common  on  board  that  notorious  craft. 

"  Anyhow,"  she  continued,  "  we  haven't  been  in 
New  York  for  I  don't  know  how  many  years,  and 
the  Old  Man's  been  so  unlucky  of  late  that  he 
thought  he'd  risk  trying  there  for  a  charter.  We 
tied  up  in  the  East  River  three  weeks  ago,  and  he 
took  me  ashore  with  him  to  prospect. 

"  He  tried  about  for  ten  days  or  so,  among  all 
sorts  of  queer  people,  till  we  met  the  man  Moreno 
you  saw  in  the  cabin  —  Jose  Maria  Moreno.  We 
came  across  him  at  an  Italian  eating-house  in  West 
Ninth  Street.  Captain  Dove  soon  discovered  that 
he  had  some  get-rich-quick  scheme  in  his  head,  and 

135 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

turned  him  over  to  me,  to  find  out  whether  there 
might  be  anything  in  it  for  us.  That's  my  share  of 
the  work,  Tommy." 

She  glanced  at  him  in  a  diffident  fashion  and  saw 
a  shadow  come  over  his  face,  but  his  eyes  were  fixed 
on  the  leech  of  the  sail  and  he  made  no  remark. 

"  This  Moreno's  a  Nicazuelan,  and  had  been  a 
bosom  friend  of  the  President's.  He  had  helped 
Casado  in  all  sorts  of  dirty  work,  and  got  nothing 
for  his  pains.  And  in  the  end  Casado  turned  him 
out  of  the  country,  with  empty  pockets  —  which  of 
course  made  him  very  sore. 

"  However,  he  didn't  sit  down  in  despair.  He 
made  his  way  to  New  York,  with  a  plan  of  the  Presi- 
dent's seaside  house  in  his  pocket  —  and  a  private 
mark  at  the  place  where  Casado's  got  all  his  re- 
sources stored  till  he  sees  his  opportunity  to  slip  off 
to  Europe.  He's  been  plundering  the  republic  for 
years  and  must  have  a  good  many  millions  hidden 
away  there.  With  a  fast  steamer,  Moreno  said,  and 
fifty  good  men  for  a  landing-party,  we  could  loot  the 
lot. 

"  That  was  just  the  sort  of  chance  Captain  Dove 
was  on  the  look-out  for,  but  by  then  he  hadn't  cash 
enough  left  to  buy  even  oil  for  his  engines.  They 
needed  a  thorough  overhaul,  too,  and  the  ship's 
bunkers  were  almost  empty.  When  I  told  him  what 
I  had  found  out  he  just  cursed  me. 

136 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  But,  by-and-bye,  he  went  off  up-town  to  see  if  he 
couldn't  find  money  somehow.  He  had  to  have 
some,  anyhow,  for  the  men  hadn't  been  paid  for  some 
time  and  he  was  afraid  they  would  break  ashore  — 
which  might  have  meant  ruin  to  him. 

"  Late  that  night  he  brought  Jasper  Slyne  on 
board.  He  had  met  Slyne  on  Broadway,  got  up 
like  a  millionaire,  and  they  had  known  each  other 
in  some  other  part  of  the  world.  I  got  Moreno  to 
tell  them  his  scheme  himself,  and  Slyne  said  at  once 
that  he'd  find  the  money  to  carry  it  out. 

"  He  came  back  next  day  with  Gildersleeve,  and, 
after  a  lot  of  argument,  the  four  of  them  formed 
a  syndicate  to  plunder  Casado.  Captain  Dove  told 
Gildersleeve  that  Slyne  had  already  paid  in  his  share 
of  the  preliminary  expenses,  and  Gildersleeve  gave 
him  a  good  round  sum  to  go  on  with.  Whatever 
more  he  might  need  they  agreed  to  provide. 
Moreno's  to  pay  his  proportion  of  the  expenses  out 
of  his  profits. 

"  The  Olive  Branch  isn't  a  cheap  ship  to  charter 
—  she  isn't  a  cheap  ship  to  keep  in  commission  either, 
for  that  matter  —  but  they  couldn't  have  found  any- 
where one  better  suited  to  their  purpose.  You 
know  the  sort  of  business  she's  been  in  ever  since 
she  was  launched.  She  was  built  for  that,  and  fitted 
either  to  fight  or  to  run.  You  know  who  Dove  is, 
and  what  sort  of  crew  he  carries.  They're  all  his 

137 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

own  kind  but  Rube  Yoxall,  and  Rube  wouldn't  be  on 
board  but  for  me.  I  got  him  to  sign  on  at  Cape 
Town,  last  time  we  called  there,  because  of  some 
mix-up  he  had  had  with  the  police. 

"  Well,  with  Gildersleeve's  money  we  coaled  up 
and  took  in  stores,  and  the  men  were  paid.  There 
was  some  tinkering  done  in  the  engine-room,  too,  but 
it  hasn't  helped  matters  much.  And  we'd  have 
sailed  two  or  three  days  before  we  did  but  that  Slyne 
and  Gildersleeve  kept  us  waiting.  I  suppose  Jasper 
Slyne  wanted  to  marry  that  Saxilby  girl  and  make 
sure  of  her  money  at  least  before  he  went  any  far- 
ther. But  Gildersleeve  had  got  rid  of  it  already, 
and,  when  Slyne  pushed  him  too  hard,  he  made  up 
his  mind  to  give  him  the  slip  altogether. 

"  He  told  Captain  Dove  that  the  Olive  Branch 
was  to  put  to  sea  without  either  of  them,  and  that 
they  would  both  follow  on  the  Calixte.  Then  the 
Calixte  was  to  be  fired  and  scuttled  —  I  found  that 
out  too  late  —  and  we  were  to  pick  them  up  from 
their  boat  along  with  whatever  men  of  their  own 
crew  they  could  induce  to  join  in.  The  rest  were  to 
sink  with  the  burning  ship,  and  —  they  actually  stove 
all  the  other  boats  in  before  they  came  away.  Gilder- 
sleeve brought  his  skipper,  both  mates,  two  of  the 
engineers,  and  nine  or  ten  other  blackguards  on 
board  with  him.  The  rest  sank  with  the  ship.  It 
would  have  been  easy  to  let  them  off  with  their  lives, 

138 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

but  —  he  wanted  to  make  sure   of  their  silence." 

Her  voice  was  low  and  sorrowful.  She  looked 
overside  at  the  oily  swirl  of  the  sea  as  a  swell  ran 
past,  and  shivered  again.  The  moon  was  sinking. 
The  haze  had  thickened.  The  wind  was  lighter  and 
still  more  cold. 

"  But  Slyne  didn't  sail  on  the  Calixte? "  said 
Tommy  interrogatively. 

"  No,  he  sailed  with  us  after  all.  He  came  tear- 
ing down  to  the  dock  in  a  coupe,  at  the  last  moment. 
He  was  hopping  mad,  what  with  his  broken  head 
and  the  news  that  the  Old  Man  gave  him,  for  it  was 
just  by  luck  that  he  hadn't  found  us  gone  and  him- 
self left  stranded.  By  Gildersleeve's  orders  we  were 
to  have  sailed  at  noon,  but  Moreno  had  gone  ashore 
and  didn't  come  back  on  board  till  after  three  in  the 
morning.  So  we  didn't  get  away  till  nearly  four, 
and  the  Old  Man  was  almost  as  mad  as  Slyne  over 
everything.  But  after  they  had  cracked  a  bottle  or 
two  they  got  better  tempered,  thinking  of  the  scare 
Gildersleeve  would  get  when  they  saw  him. 

"  They  were  both  in  their  bunks,  blind,  though, 
by  the  time  we  sighted  the  blue-light  Gildersleeve's 
boat  was  burning.  I  was  on  the  bridge  then,  with 
Rube,  and  saw  the  whole  thing.  There  was  only 
the  one  boat,  and  no  other  trace  left  of  the  Calixte. 
I  got  Rube  to  take  a  turn  or  two  back  and  forward 
before  we  held  away  on  our  course  again,  but  it  was 

J39 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

no  use.     She  must  have  foundered  shortly  after  they 
left  her. 

"  There  was  still  something  wrong  in  our  engine- 
room,  and  we'd  been  steaming  dead-slow  since  noon, 
so  that  we  were  a  bit  late.  They  had  been  adrift  for 
a  good  many  hours,  and  it  was  a  chance  of  theirs  that 
we  turned  up  then.  The  wind  and  sea  had  risen 
enough  to  scare  them  out  of  their  wits." 

Tommy  groaned  inwardly  as  he  thought  of  Eileen 
in  such  circumstances. 

"  That  was  just  after  we  had  struck  you  —  about 
twenty  minutes  after.  I  thought  you  must  be  the 
Callxte's  people,  but,  when  Rube  Yoxall  fished  you 
on  board,  I  saw  Fulmar  on  your  guernsey,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  no  one  else  to  fish  for.  So  I  carried 
you  aft  to  my  own  cabin,  and  left  you  there,  out  of 
Captain  Dove's  way,  till  after  we  had  picked  them 
up.  You  know  all  that's  happened  since  he  found 
you  there  when  he  came  along  after  breakfast  next 
morning,  like  a  bear  with  a  sore  head." 

She  ceased,  and  turned  to  him  with  a  tired  little 
smile.  She  would  have  nestled  up  to  him,  but  he 
was  not  looking  her  way.  His  eyes  were  still  fixed 
on  the  leech  of  the  sail,  expressionless.  He  had 
learned  all  he  needed  to  know,  and  was  brooding 
over  the  almost  unbelievable  tale  she  had  told  him. 
And  she,  seeing  him  so  absorbed,  drew  back  again, 
very  proudly. 

140 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

It  was  very  dark  and  desolate  there  in  the  midst 
of  space,  shut  off  from  the  living  world.  A  thin, 
clammy  sea-mist,  born  of  the  earliest  haze,  was  whip- 
ping across  the  white  sail  and  threatened  to  set  into 
a  fog.  A  dull  depression,  a  heavy  sense  of  loss  and 
discouragement,  had  almost  overwhelmed  Tommy 
Judson.  The  consciousness  of  his  own  insignificance, 
of  the  poverty  of  his  own  resources  in  such  a  strange 
maze  of  trouble,  was  weighing  him  down. 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  know  what  we're  going  to 
do,  once  we  get  ashore,"  he  said,  vexedly  giving 
voice  to  his  thoughts.  And  Saleh  laid  a  comforting 
hand  on  his  arm. 

"  We're  going  to  make  our  fortunes,"  she  an- 
swered gaily,  "  you  and  I.  We're  going  to  beat  the 
Old  Man,  and  Slyne,  and  Gildersleeve  at  their  own 
game.  You  heard  me  warn  them  that  they  couldn't 
get  on  without  me?  I  wasn't  bluffing.  I've  got  all 
Moreno's  plans  here  with  me  " —  She  laid  a  hand 
on  her  bosom  — "  and  he's  no  more  use  to  them,  now 
I've  left  them  in  the  lurch:  as  I  told  them  I  would 
if  they  tried  any  more  tricks  behind  my  back. 

"  And  then  " —  her  voice  faltered  a  little,  the  glad 
assurance  died  out  of  it  — "  and  then  —  you'll  go 
back  to  New  York,  with  that  Saxilby  girl." 

But  Tommy  did  not  at  once  vouchsafe  her  any 
reply.  He  was  swiftly  considering  the  possibilities 
opened  up  by  her  most  astounding  statement.  Hope, 

141 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

almost  dead,  had  sprung  again  in  his  heart.  It 
seemed  to  him  that,  with  her  to  help  him,  he  might 
save  Eileen  Saxilby  yet.  He  must  find  the  money, 
somehow,  to  get  down  to  Nicazuela,  by  train  or 
steamer,  ahead  of  the  Olive  Branch.  And  then  — 

"  Is  old  Dove  any  relation  of  yours?  "  he  asked, 
after  a  long  silence. 

"  No,"  said  Saleh  simply.  "  I'm  only  his 
property." 

"  His  what?  "  Tommy  Judson  demanded,  doubt- 
ing the  evidence  of  his  own  ears. 

"  His  property,"  she  repeated  patiently.  "  I  be- 
long to  him  —  or  at  least  I  did  till  a  little  while  ago. 
I  belong  to  nobody  now." 

Tommy  screwed  up  his  face  in  annoyance.  The 
tone  of  her  last  remark  had  hurt  him  more  than  a 
little. 

"How  d'you  mean  his  property?"  he  inquired, 
having  first  satisfied  himself  that  she  was  quite 
serious. 

"Don't  you  know  what  property  is?"  she  re- 
torted, faintly  amused.  "  Captain  Dove  bought  me 
—  when  I  was  a  little  child.  He  owns  me  —  I'm 
his.  Or  at  least  I  was  until  now." 

"  Who  sold  you  to  him?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  was  too  young  then  to  under- 
stand. But  it  was  a  nigger  of  some  sort.  He  sold 

142 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

me  to  Captain  Dove.  And  the  Old  Man  s  often 
told  me  I  cost  quite  a  lot." 

"But  don't  you  know  who  you  are?  —  who 
your  parents  were?  —  where  you  come  from? 
Have  you  no  remembrance  of  your  own  father  and 
mother?  —  or  any  home?  " 

She  moved  uneasily.  Her  features,  very  dimly 
visible  through  the  ever  thickening  mist,  grew  sud- 
denly grave.  When  she  spoke  again  it  was  with  an 
effort,  as  one  who  recalls  matters  almost  faded  from 
memory. 

"  Sometimes  I  dream  of  faces  —  that  seem  fa- 
miliar and  of  queer  scenes  that  must  have  been  part 
of  my  life.  White  men,  with  swords,  in  ragged 
uniforms,  and  big  brown  ones,  with  wicked  eyes  and 
long  thin  guns,  glaring  down  at  us  over  a  high  wall; 
and  always  smoke  and  fire  —  and  fighting  —  and  the 
smell  of1  powder.  But  never  any  woman. 

"  I  sometimes  dream  of  moutains — great,  dark — 
and  hot  sand-hills  where  the  suddra  grew,  and  camp- 
fires,  and  the  smell  of  food,  and  camels  squealing. 
Sometimes  of  a  white  village  on  the  sea-shore,  with 
narrow,  crooked  lanes  for  streets,  and  little  flat-roofed 
houses,  and  goats  bleating  for  their  kids.  And  — 
then  comes  Captain  Dove :  but  he's  no  dream  1 " 

Her  low  voice  died  away,  and  she  sat  staring  with 
unseeing  eyes  into  the  night,  as  vague  and  nebulous 

H3 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

as  her  own  past.  Tommy  said  nothing  more.  The 
world  seemed  suddenly  to  have  become  unreal  and 
unsubstantial.  And  they  sailed  on,  speechless,  with- 
out recourse,  the  sport  of  circumstance. 

The  dark  before  the  dawn  was  turning  to  dull  gray 
in  the  dense  fog  that  had  been  growing  gradually, 
hour  by  hour,  and  they  knew  day  was  near.  The 
wind  was  almost  dead,  and  the  damp  sail  was  flap- 
ping uselessly  against  the  mast  when  there  came  to 
their  hearing,  faint  and  far  away,  a  slow  and  regular 
clack-clack-clack-clack. 

Saleh  sat  upright,  stiffly,  and,  setting  a  hand  to  one 
cold,  pink  ear,  listened,  with  bated  breath. 

"  A  sailing-ship !  "  she  whispered,  "  and  the  morn- 
ing watch  at  the  pumps.  She  can't  be  far." 

Tommy  Judson  let  go  the  halliards,  and  the  sail 
came  down  by  the  run.  He  had  come  out  of  dream- 
land, to  the  workaday  world.  The  mast  was  un- 
stepped  in  a  twinkling.  With  trembling  hands  he 
thrust  a  couple  of  pairs  of  thole-pins  home  and  pulled 
out  a  pair  of  the  heavy  sweeps  stowed  under  the 
thwarts. 

"  I'll  take  one,"  said  Saleh  peremptorily,  and, 
shifting  a  pair  of  the  pins,  sat  down  in  her  place. 

They  could  see  nothing  beyond  the  dripping  blades 
of  their  oars,  and  steered  through  the  smother  blind, 
by  the  sound,  which  was  growing  louder.  They  had 
started  with  a  quick,  even  stroke,  of  a  strength  suf- 

144 


THEY    COULD    SEE  NOTHING  BUT  THE  DRIPPING  BLADES  OF  THEIR  OARS 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ficient  to  carry  them  over  the  long,  smooth  swell  at 
a  steady  speed,  and  their  eagerness  lent  them  energy 
to  maintain  it.  They  were  almost  within  hailing  dis- 
tance of  the  ship  from  which  the  sound  came,  when 
from  far  astern  resounded  a  low,  hoarse,  throbbing 
bellow,  like  that  of  some  great  sea-creature  in  sore 
distress. 

Saleh  held  her  hand  for  a  moment.  "  That's  the 
Olive  Branch,"  she  asserted  fearfully.  "  I  know  her 
call.  The  Old  Man's  after  us !  " 

She  dipped  her  oar  again,  and  "  Give  way!  "  she 
said,  her  eyes  very  anxious. 

They  had  been  pulling  their  hardest  for  five  min- 
utes more,  minutes  which  seemed  like  hours,  before 
Tommy  Judson,  always  glancing  ahead,  gave  the  wel- 
come word,  "  Way  enough !  "  and  they  suddenly 
surged  alongside  a  vessel  which  had  risen  out  of  the 
mist  in  an  instant.  She  was  lying  stern  on  to  them, 
and  with  a  stiff  list  to  starboard.  From  the  cant  of 
her  poop  it  appeared  that  she  must  also  be  deep  by 
the  head. 

"  Derelict !  "  said  Saleh,  in  a  most  disconsolate 
voice.  "  We  won't  have  much  of  a  chance  if  the 
Olive  Branch  sights  her."  But  Tommy  Judson 
made  no  remark  at  all.  He  was  staring  stupidly  at 
a  waterlogged  dinghy  lying  afloat  at  the  end  of  a 
painter  made  fast  to  her  rail.  They  bumped  into  it, 
and  stopped  there, 

145 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

No  one  on  board  seemed  to  have  observed  their  ap- 
proach. The  slow  clack-clack  clack-clack  of  the 
pumps  went  endlessly  on. 

Tommy  pulled  his  oar  inboard,  and  rose  from  his 
thwart.  He  stood  silent  there  for  a  moment,  his 
knees  shaking  under  him,  while  Saleh  sat  looking 
up  at  him  in  helpless  surprise.  Then  he  moistened 
his  dry  lips  with  his  tongue  and  gave  utterance  to  a 
sharp,  tense  cry :  "  Calixte,  ahoy !  " 

Hoarse  shouts  of  surprise  answered  him.  A  grimy 
figure  came  staggering  down  the  sloping  deck  through 
the  fog  with  a  glad,  "  Ahoy,  there  I  "  It  made  fast 
the  rope  he  hurriedly  threw  it,  and  held  out  an  eager 
hand  to  help  him  up  the  side.  Its  eyes  were  rivetted 
on  him  as  he  turned  to  assist  Saleh.  Other  figures 
flocked  forward  in  haste,  and  the  first  disappeared 
up  the  deck  again  with  a  howl  of  mingled  delight  and 
amazement. 

"  Misther  Ingersoll !  "  it  cried,  very  vehemently. 
"  Misther  Ingersoll !  Misther  Ingersoll !  Here's 
the  ghost  of  your  friend  Misther  Judkins!  " 


146 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  DIPLOMACY  OF  THE  IRON  HAND 

FERMIN  CASADO,  President  of  Nicazuela 
sometimes  laughingly  referred  to,  at  Wash- 
ington and  among  European  cabinets,  as  of 
the  Iron  Hand  —  was  pacing  up  and  down  the 
sumptuous  library  within  his  palace  at  Caragua,  hands 
clasped  behind  him,  chin  on  chest,  his  brows  bent  in 
a  calculating  frown.  A  man  of  rather  more  than  me- 
dium height  and  squarely  muscular  in  build,  was  this 
firebrand  of  the  firebrands  who  are  always  spread- 
ing sparks  about  the  powder-magazine  of  politics  in 
South  America.  His  face  was  of  an  intellectual  type. 
A  black  beard  and  moustache  concealed  his  dogged 
mouth  and  jaw.  His  eyes  expressed  the  habit  of 
command,  expected  prompt  obedience. 

The  sun  was  setting,  and  the  ripple  of  the  wide 
inland  sea  which  lapped  the  terrace-wall  beyond  the 
windows  was  of  a  blood-red  tinge.  The  room  re- 
flected it.  Fermin  Casado's  thoughts  were  of  that 
tint. 

"  I  wish  I  could  afford  to  stay  —  and  fight  them," 
he  said  to  himself  in  a  harsh  whisper. 

"  But  —  that  would  mean  beggary  for  me  —  and 
H7 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

I'm  not  going  to  turn  back  now.  I've  made  my  pile 
—  as  those  accursed  Yankees  say.  It  would  be  idle 
folly  to  expend  it  on  a  month's  excitement  —  a 
week's,  perhaps  —  and  then  pay  an  indemnity  to 
Portugal. 

"  No,  that  would  never  do.  I  must  stick  to  my 
purpose.  Paris  will  make  up  for  it  all.  I'll  go  to 
Berlin,  too,  and  flaunt  my  millions  in  the  faces  of 
those  smug  financiers!  That  will  be  better  policy 
than  rotting  here  till  I  die  of  old  age  and  empty 
pockets.  I've  had  my  day  of  power  —  I've  made  it 
pay  me.  I  must  be  diplomatic  now.  I  must  re- 
strain myself." 

He  crossed  to  his  desk,  and  touched  an  electric  bell. 
A  footman  in  rich  livery  appeared  at  the  door. 

"  My  compliments  to  the  Minister  of  Finance," 
said  His  Excellency,  "  and  I  wish  to  see  him,  at 
once." 

When  that  individual  was  shown  in,  a  very  dapper 
young  man  of  the  modern  South  American  type,  his 
frock-coat  of  a  rakish  cut,  his  patent-leather  shoes 
scintillant,  he  found  the  President  at  an  open  win- 
dow, engaged  in  light  conversation  with  someone  on 
the  terrace  below.  He  coughed,  discreetly,  and 
awaited  his  patron's  pleasure.  For  the  Senor  Doctor 
Don  Enrique  Vidal  owed  all  his  advancement  in  life 
to  Fermin  Casado,  was  one  of  His  Excellency's  most 
servile  creatures. 

148 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Ah,  Vidal !  "  said  that  great  man  affably,  turn- 
ing away  from  the  window  with  a  last  wave  of  the 
hand,  a  somewhat  more  human  smile  on  his  face  than 
was  usually  to  be  seen  there,  "  I  wanted  to  tell  you 
that  I'm  going  down  to  the  coast  to-night,  to  over- 
see our  defenses. 

"  The  Portuguese  admiral's  ultimatum  —  but 
there  it  is,  on  my  desk.  Read  it  for  yourself.  He 
says  that,  unless  we  immediately  comply  with  all  his 
demands,  he'll  blockade  us  and  shell  the  Port.  I 
have  made  up  my  mind  to  ignore  him  entirely— *'• 
send  him  no  answer  at  all  —  and  in  the  meantime 
make  ready  to  meet  force  with  force.  We  of  Nica- 
zuela  are  bankrupt  in  all  save  honor,  Vidal.  We 
have  no  money  with  which  to  fight  those  who  so  in- 
cessantly seek  to  molest  us,  but  we  can  at  least  spend 
our  blood  in  defense  of  our  hearths  and  homes.  We 
defy  Portugal!  We  defy  both  Europe  and  the 
United  States !  We  defy  the  world !  " 

His  voice  had  risen.  He  shook  his  clenched  fist 
at  the  empty  air,  stamped  on  the  thick  Turkey  car- 
pet. He  was  so  much  in  earnest,  indeed,  that  he 
almost  forgot  for  the  moment  his  real  intention. 
Recalling  that,  he  became  calm  and  impassive  again. 
His  Minister  of  Finance  was  regarding  him  with 
curious  attention. 

The  Senor  Doctor  Don  Enrique  Yidal  was  no 
fool.  He  was,  on  the  contrary,  a  very  artful  young 

149 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

man.  He  had  modeled  his  own  walk  and  conduct  in 
life,  on  a  minor  scale,  by  his  patron's.  And,  like  his 
patron,  his  ambition  was  unbounded.  His  present 
aim  and  object  was  to  step  into  his  patron's  shoes. 

Intimate  with  the  President  as  he  had  been,  he  had 
gauged  with  sufficient  accuracy  Casado's  immediate 
intention  —  which  was  to  leave  in  the  lurch  the 
country  he  had  so  successfully  plundered,  betake  him- 
self abroad  with  his  ill-gotten  gains,  and  let  who 
would  settle  the  long  legacy  of  troubles  internal,  em- 
broilments abroad,  the  sole  bequest  it  would  ever  re- 
ceive from  him.  And  therein  the  younger  man  saw 
his  own  opportunity.  From  his  present  humble  and 
harrassing  post  he  meant  to  rise,  on  the  wave  of  popu- 
lar indignation  which  such  proceedings  could  not  but 
call  up,  to  the  exalted  position  the  other  was  now 
about  to  vacate. 

The  embarrassed  financial  affairs  of  the  Republic 
he  had,  of  course,  at  his  finger-ends.  He  it  was  who 
had  almost  succeeded  in  floating  the  German  loan 
which  had  been  postponed  in  consequence  of  the  cur- 
rent difficulty  with  Portugal.  Fermin  Casado  safely 
removed,  an  exile  for  life  from  Nicazuela  because  of 
the  peculations  from  the  public  purse,  he,  President 
Vidal,  would  very  soon  settle  or  shelve  the  Portu- 
guese question.  He  would  make  use  of  a  device 
Casado  had  always  disdained  to  employ,  hide  under 
a  velvet  glove  a  hand  to  the  full  as  ruthless  as  his 

150 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

predecessor's.  He  would  obtain  from  the  Germans 
those  millions  they  had  so  opportunely  withheld,  and 
then  — 

"  Our  blood  at  least  is  our  own  to  spend!  "  he 
replied  as  Casado  came  to  a  pause,  and  his  flashing 
eyes,  his  heroic  tone,  were  a  very  fair  imitation  of 
the  President's. 

"  I  leave  Caragua  to-night,  Vidal,"  His  Excellency 
continued.  "  My  work  for  our  country's  welfare 
must  henceforth  be  done  with  the  sword.  You  I 
count  on  to  toil  with  the  pen  for  the  common  good. 
I  —  I  appoint  you  my  deputy,  with  full  power  in 
my  place." 

The  Senor  Doctor  Don  Enrique  Vidal  bowed  sub- 
missively —  and  resolved  that  he  would  not  idle  away 
any  such  golden  opportunity.  It  seemed  to  him  that 
his  own  star  was  already  in  the  ascendant,  even  as 
his  arrogant  patron's  would  very  shortly  suffer 
eclipse. 

"  I  am  Your  Excellency's  most  humble  servant," 
he  answered,  and  then  passed  on  to  another  matter, 
which,  also,  he  hoped  to  turn  to  his  own  advantage. 

"  By  the  by,  I've  just  had  a  wire  from  Waples, 
the  bank-manager,  at  the  Port,"  he  said,  "  to  ask 
what  he  shall  do  about  those  promissory  notes  you 
signed  for  the  loan  Slyne  obtained  for  you  from  that 
Yankee  capitalist,  Gil  —  Gil  —  The  name,  to  me 
is  unpronounceable." 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Gildersleeve,"  supplemented  His  Excellency 
with  urbane  assurance.  He  could  speak  good  French 
and  English  as  well  as  his  native  Spanish,  and  was 
not  a  little  proud  of  his  linguistic  attainments.  "  Gil- 
dersleeve, my  good  Vidal, —  and  Slyne  —  and 
Waples.  Names  execrable  as  the  creatures  who  bear 
them!  What  base  parasites  and  bloodsuckers  are 
those  foreigners  who  fatten  on  us  at  every  turn,  who 
prey  on  the  very  vitals  of  our  poor  country !  " 

His  indignation  was  quite  unfeigned,  and  the  Min- 
ister of  Finance  lost  no  time  in  heaping  fuel  on  that 
fire. 

"  The  notes  fall  due  to-morrow,  you  know,"  he 
observed,  and  Casado  scowled.  But  he  finished,  un- 
daunted, "  what  answer  shall  I  send  Waples?  " 

"  That  all  public  payments  have  been  suspended  in 
consequence  of  the  unjustifiable  attitude  a  European 
power  has  seen  fit  to  adopt  toward  the  Republic  of 
Nicazuela,"  the  President  answered  grandiloquently, 
on  a  sudden  inspiration.  "  Let  this  Gildersleeve  re- 
fer the  matter  to  his  own  government.  Over  such 
a  sum  as  the  notes  represent,  on  paper,  those  wind- 
bags at  Washington  might  very  well  pick  a  quarrel 
with  the  Portuguese.  But,  whether  or  no,  we  have 
neither  the  means  nor  the  inclination  to  meet  them 
at  present.  Make  that  quite  clear.  We  of  Nica* 
zuela  are  bankrupt  in  all  save  honor,'' 

152 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  You  may  perhaps  see  this  Waples  yourself,  when 
you  reach  the  Port,"  suggested  Vidal. 

"  Send  him  word  that  my  life-guards  have  orders 
to  shoot  him  at  sight,"  snapped  His  Excellency.  "  I 
have  no.  time  to  waste  on  futilities  at  such  a  crisis! 
I  must  use  the  strongest  measures  to  overcome  it. 
I  shall  stamp  out  any  who  trouble  me  inopportunely. 
Send  Waples  word  to  that  effect,  amigo  Vidal." 

"  I  am  Your  Excellency's  most  humble  servant," 
the  Minister  of  Finance  repeated,  and  the  President's 
face  cleared.  He  felt  that  he  had  made  smoother 
the  path  he  had  mapped  out  for  himself. 

"  And  now,"  he  said,  "  you  know  everything.  I 
can  trust  you  —  and  you  only,  Vidal  —  with  the 
reins  of  government  here  in  the  capital  during  my 
absence.  There  is  no  more  to  be  said.  Let  us  for- 
get these  affairs  of  state  for  a  brief  space,  if  we  can. 
Will  you  dine  with  us,  in  half  an  hour,  friend  Vidal? 
Just  as  you  are  —  We  shall  all  be  in  traveling- 
dress.  My  daughter  will  be  delighted,  I  know,  to 
see  you  before  we  start." 

He  dismissed  his  shrewd  subordinate  with  a  gra- 
cious nod,  and,  turning  to  the  window  again,  called 
softly  to  a  tall,  slender  girl  leaning  gracefully  against 
the  parapet  of  the  terrace  that  overhung  the  lake. 
And  she  came  toward  him,  smiling,  very  handsome 
and  dignified. 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  held  out  a  hand  to  her,  helped  her  in  over 
the  low  window-sill,  led  her  to  the  chair  at  his  desk. 

"  Listen,  Carmen,"  he  said,  gravely,  as  she  seated 
herself.  "  We  leave  Caragua  to-night  for  the  coast, 
immediately  after  dinner.  And  we  must  travel  post- 
haste, on  horseback.  We  can  carry  no  great  amount 
of  baggage,  and  you  must  pack  all  you  need  in  the 
panniers  you'll  find  in  your  room.  There's  a  strong- 
box in  one  of  them  which  will  hold  all  your  diamonds 
—  so  don't  leave  a  single  stone  behind.  Not  a  single 
stone,  remember! 

'  You've  twenty  minutes  to  dress  and  do  every- 
thing else  in.  Don't  keep  us  waiting.  Enrique 
Vidal  dines  with  us,  and  the  two  Scarletts.  En- 
courage Vidal  to  believe  you'll  be  back  here  soon. 
Encourage  him  to  confide  in  you,  and  —  leave  the 
others  to  me. 

"  You  understand  me,  don't  you,  querida?  Par- 
don me  if  I  seem  abrupt,  but  —  moments  are  very 
precious.  And  now  —  off  you  go." 

Her  eyes,  a  little  dilated,  met  his  interrogatively. 
But  what  she  saw  in  his  masterful  glance  caused  her 
to  curb  all  the  questions  she  would  have  asked.  She 
rose,  and,  bowing,  preceded  him  from  the  room. 

A  little  later  he  reappeared  from  his  dressing- 
room  at  the  end  of  the  same  corridor.  He  had 
changed  his  civilian  attire  for  a  smart  cavalry  uni- 
form, and  looked  his  part  as  he  strode,  sword  and 

154 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

spurs  jingling  on  the  uncarpeted  flags,  toward  the 
apartment  in  an  outer  wing  of  the  palace  where  his 
dinner-party  was  awaiting  him.  An  orderly,  in  ad- 
vance, carried  a  pair  of  mule-panniers,  and  served  to 
warn  the  sentries,  posted  at  every  corner,  of  His 
Excellency's  approach. 

"  Set  these  down  under  my  chair,"  the  President 
ordered  abruptly  as  the  man  paused  at  the  door  of 
the  dining-room  to  let  him  pass.  "  Good-evening, 
Scarlett.  Well,  Ulick  —  All  ready  for  the  road?  " 

He  shook  hands  with  a  tall,  grave-faced,  soldierly- 
looking  young  man  in  the  same  uniform  as  he  him- 
self was  wearing,  but  with  a  colonel's  badges  of  rank 
on  its  shoulder-straps,  and  nodded  pleasantly  to  an- 
other, a  blushing,  boyish  subaltern,  of  fair  com- 
plexion, straight,  slim,  square-shouldered,  very  evi- 
dently a  brother  of  Colonel  Scarlett's.  The  Senor 
Doctor  Don  Enrique  Vidal,  in  the  rear,  he  greeted 
with  an  effusively  affectionate  glance  but  had  not 
time  to  address  him  before  the  Dona  Carmen  ap- 
peared in  the  doorway,  booted  and  spurred  as  they 
all  were  except  Vidal,  a  delight  to  the  eye  as  she 
hurried  in,  skirts  held  high. 

Casado  took  the  head  of  the  table  — "  State  pa- 
pers, of  the  most  precious  importance,"  said  he  aside 
to  his  colonel  of  guards,  and  pulled  the  panniers 
under  his  chair  —  and  the  others  seated  themselves, 
in  haste,  at  his  bidding,  Vidal  beside  the  Dona  Car- 

J55 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

men.  They  two  entertained  each  other  during  the 
meal,  Casado  engaging  his  officers  in  earnest  con- 
versation. And  the  Minister  of  Finance,  not  too 
old  yet  to  appreciate  a  pair  of  bright  eyes,  made  the 
utmost  of  such  opportunity,  greatly  to  Ulick  Scar- 
lett's disgust. 

Nor  did  that  youth  regard  the  Minister  of  Finance 
with  any  increased  friendliness  when,  as  soon  as  cof- 
fee was  served,  he  himself  was  dismissed  from  table 
to  see  the  life-guards  paraded  in  the  quadrangle  be- 
low. But  he  went  off  none  the  less  alertly,  and  had 
not  long  to  wait  after  all,  for  Casado's  impatience 
could  brook  no  prolonged  leave-takings. 

That  wing  of  the  palace  abutted  upon  the  gardens. 
The  graveled  square,  built  about  on  three  sides,  was 
but  dimly  lighted.  The  double  squadron  of  horse- 
men drawn  across  its  open  front,  saw  three  dark 
figures  descending  the  steps,  a  fourth  at  the  door- 
way above,  looking  down.  And  almost  immediately 
their  colonel  came  cantering  over  to  take  command. 
He  sent  his  subaltern  off  at  the  trot  with  an  advance- 
guard,  saw  the  President  and  the  Dona  Carmen, 
with  their  sumpter-horses,  safely  surrounded,  and  set 
forth  with  them  at  once  on  the  long  march  to  the 
coast. 

Their  way  led  from  the  open  gate  of  the  palace- 
gardens,  through  sundry  cobble-paved  streets,  dark 
deserted  at  that  hour,  down  which  they  clattered 
J56 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

without  attracting  any  attention,  to  a  narrow,  ill- 
kept  high-road  skirting  the  lake.  And  they  followed 
that  for  an  hour  before  they  drew  bridle,  at  a  point 
where  it  turns  sharply  eastward  into  a  gorge  that 
shuts  out  all  view.  There  the  President  called  a 
halt,  that  he  might  look  back,  for  the  last  time,  at 
Caragua. 

The  moon  had  risen  over  that  edge  of  the  world 
where  sky  meets  water  on  the  great  inland  sea  which 
lies  among  the  mountains  of  Nicazuela.  The  fairy- 
like  white  city,  only  a  few  miles  away  round  a  curve 
in  the  lake-side,  stood  out  in  sharp  relief,  a  miniature 
in  silver  picked  out  with  diamond-points  that  were 
lamps  still  burning.  A  rippling  pathway  of  light 
led  from  the  moon  to  the  palace-walls. 

Casado  turned  away  with  a  muttered  curse. 

"  It's  like  a  dream,"  he  said  to  himself  in  a  whis- 
per. "  And  —  I  shall  no  doubt  see  it  often  enough 
again  —  in  such  guise.  I  wish  this  had  been  a  dark 
night  —  a  dark  night,  and  pouring  rain !  " 

And  throughout  the  night  as  it  was,  dry,  clear, 
star-studded,  he  rode  silently,  side  by  side  with  the 
Dona  Carmen,  in  the  midst  of  his  life-guards,  the 
sumpter-horses  hard  at  his  heels,  doing  all  he  could 
to  convince  himself  that  he  did  not  care  for  what  he 
was  leaving  behind. 

At  the  last  halting-place  on  their  journey,  a 
wretched  roadside  village  in  a  cranny  of  the  moun- 

157 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

tain-face,  dawn  came  upon  them.  They  stood  by 
their  steaming  horses  in  front  of  a  mud-walled  hovel 
falsely  entitled  Hotel  Bella  Fista,  whereat  Ulick 
Scarlett,  cantering  through  ahead  of  them,  had  or- 
dered coffee  to  be  prepared  in  haste  for  His  Excel- 
lency the  President,  and  saw  the  sun  climb  slowly 
out  of  the  gray  Atlantic  so  far  below  them.  Their 
faces  were  white  with  fatigue  and  pinched  with  the 
cold  of  a  wind  which  bit  shrewdly  at  that  altitude. 

The  sun  showed  a  distant  township  on  the  sea- 
shore, and  the  men  of  the  escort,  a  little  apart,  meas- 
ured in  their  own  minds  the  miles  that  remained  to 
be  covered.  Casado,  at  the  inn-door  with  the  Dona 
Carmen  and  Colonel  Scarlett,  was  studying  intently 
the  three  tiny  vessels,  at  anchor,  in  line,  before  the 
far-off,  infinitesimal  buildings.  These  were  the 
Portuguese  war-ships.  Of  a  fourth,  farther  inshore, 
he  took  no  particular  notice  then. 

Nor  did  he  linger  there,  with  the  long  descent 
ahead  still  to  be  negotiated.  Ten  minutes  after  they 
set  off  down-hill  on  foot,  the  life-guards  leading  their 
weary  horses.  They  had  traveled  fast  and  far. 

The  servants  at  the  Casa  Rosada,  the  President's 
sea-side  villa,  a  squat,  spacious,  oblong  building,  of 
that  rose-marble  for  which  the  mountains  of  Nica- 
zuela  are  famous,  set  in  the  heart  of  a  palm-grove 
on  the  brink  of  a  picturesque  ravine  about  a  mile 
from  the  Port,  were  sorely  exercised  when  a  lieu- 

158 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

tenant  of  life-guards  rode  in  on  them  just  before 
breakfast-time  with  word  that  His  Excellency  was 
close  at  hand.  But  when,  very  shortly  afterward, 
His  Excellency  arrived,  there  was  no  sign  of  haste  or 
disorder.  Ulick  Scarlett,  spick  and  span  as  usual, 
a  handsome  boy  in  his  blue  and  gold,  had  his  men 
drawn  on  either  side  of  the  steps  as  a  guard  of 
honor,  and  even  his  elder  brother,  a  very  exacting 
soldier,  nodded  approval  of  their  appearance  after 
their  long  night-ride. 

The  President,  having  satisfied  himself  as  to  the 
safety  of  his  precious  panniers,  bestowed  a  beaming 
smile  on  the  assiduous  subaltern,  bade  him  see  his 
men  settled  into  bivouac,  and  come  indoors  to  break- 
fast as  soon  as  might  be.  Colonel  Scarlett  he  desired 
to  attend  him,  and  Colonel  Scarlett  did  so,  though 
none  too  willingly.  For  that  grave-faced,  unsmiling 
Scots  soldier  of  fortune  was  no  carpet-warrior,  and 
would  have  preferred  to  camp  with  his  squadron  now 
that  their  present  errand  was  well  accomplished. 

He  sat  down,  contentedly  enough,  however,  with 
the  Dona  Carmen,  after  he  had  passed  through  the 
President's  own  dressing-room,  and  they  were  very 
shortly  joined  by  his  brother  Ulick.  His  Excel- 
lency was  elsewhere,  but  thoughtfully  sent  word  that 
they  should  not  wait  breakfast  for  him. 

His  Excellency  was,  in  point  of  fact,  extremely 
busy  at  one  of  the  private  telephones  in  his  own  safely 

159 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

secluded  apartments.  He  was  engaged  in  earnest 
conversation  with  the  harbor-master  at  the  Port,  an 
individual  whose  services  he  had  quite  lately  subsi- 
dized from  his  own  privy  purse,  as  to  the  stateroom 
he  had  ordered  to  be  booked  at  the  last  moment  on 
the  mail-steamer  due  to  make  its  usual  fortnightly 
call  that  afternoon. 

But  a  most  unexpected  difficulty  had  cropped  up. 
The  harbor-master  had  just  been  notified  by  the  lo- 
cal office  of  the  line  that,  in  view  of  the  blockade  to 
be  established  at  noon  by  the  Portuguese  fleet,  no 
steamer  of  theirs  need  be  expected  for  another  fort- 
night at  least.  And  all  his  employer's  carefully 
thought  out  plans  for  slipping  on  board  unobserved 
were  thus  rendered  null  and  void. 

Casado  gnashed  his  teeth  at  the  telephone,  and 
the  harbor-master,  at  the  other  end  of  the  wire, 
quaked  audibly.  He  would  willingly  have  offered 
to  repay  forthwith  the  subsidy  he  had  received  on 
account  of  services  he  could  by  no  means  render  now, 
but  that  the  President  was  speaking  again.  In  his 
quick  brain  Casado  had  already  conceived  a  scheme 
still  more  promising. 

"  What  steamer  is  that  at  anchor  between  those 
Portuguese  tubs  and  the  shore  ?  "  he  demanded  sud- 
denly. "  Listen  to  me  —  don't  talk  so  much !  And 
carry  out  my  instructions  immediately,  do  you  hear? 


1 60 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Very  well,  then  —  You  are  to  go  on  board  her  at 
once  —  see  the  captain,  privately  —  and  tell  him 
that  I,  Don  Fermi'n  Casado,  President  of  Nicazuela, 
desire  to  see  him  here,  at  my  villa,  without  an  in- 
stant's delay.  You  are  to  bring  him  ashore  with  you, 
and  —  I'll  have  a  carriage  waiting  at  your  door  to 
carry  him  hither  as  soon  as  you  land.  If  he  needs 
any  further  inducement  to  come,  you  may  tell  him 
that  it  will  pay  him  handsomely  to  comply  with  my 
wishes.  You  understand?  Very  well,  then.  Why 
don't  you  answer  my  question !  " 

"  Your  pardon,  Excellency,"  the  harbor-master  im- 
plored, "  but  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  me  to  go 
on  board.  The  captain  is  at  this  moment  on  his 
way  ashore,  to  obtain  entrance  at  my  office.  He 
reached  the  roadstead  too  late  last  night  to  get 
pratique.  He  will  be  at  the  landing-stage  in  a  few 
minutes  —  I  can  see  his  boat  from  my  window  while 
I  am  speaking. 

"  Shall  I  send  him  on  to  you  at  once,  in  a  hired 
carriage?  " 

"  Do  so,"  said  Casado  in  a  more  pacific  tone. 
"  Bring  him  out  yourself,  and  by  force  if  necessary. 
But  you  haven't  told  me  yet,  although  I've  asked  you 
three  times  already,  what  ship  it  is." 

He  listened  intently  to  the  harbor-master's  anxious 
reply,  repeating  to  himself  the  names  he  heard,  names 
unknown  to  him. 

161 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Very  well,  then,"  he  concluded  at  length. 
"  You'll  carry  out  my  instructions.  Tell  Captain 
Dove,  of  the  Olive  Branch,  that  I  desire  to  see  him 
here,  without  a  moment's  delay.'* 


162 


CHAPTER  XII 

CAPTAIN  DOVE,  OF  THE 

CAPTAIN  DOVE,  of  the  Olive  Branch,  was 
in  a  very  dangerous  temper.     His  mind,  by 
no  means  of  the  best  balanced  even  under 
auspicious  influences,  had  of  late  been  inflamed  to 
the  verge  of  frenzy  by  a  succession  of  the  most  con- 
trary circumstanes. 

He  had  been  neither  to  hold  nor  to  bind  when 
he  had  discovered  how  Saleh  Harez  had  made  her 
escape  from  the  ship  on  which  she  had  lived,  in 
comfortable  captivity,  for  so  many  years  that  he 
had  never  dreamed  she  would  seek  to  leave  it.  He 
had  cherished  her  during  all  these  years  as  he  might 
have  a  child  of  his  own,  even  while  he  had  always 
looked  on  her,  his  chattel  by  right  of  purchase,  as 
an  easily  realizable  asset.  In  more  than  one  dark, 
curtained  corner  of  the  world  had  he  been  tempted 
to  part  with  her,  and  yet  had  refrained.  And  only 
now  he  had  lost  her  did  he  realize  what  an  important 
factor  she  had  by  degrees  become  in  his  calculations, 
how  ill  he  could  do  without  her. 

163 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

With  his  hand  always  on  the  whistle-cord  and 
cursing  the  fog  which  was  blinding  him,  he  had  quar- 
tered every  square  mile  of  the  sea-surface  between  his 
course  and  the  coast,  in  the  belief  that  the  two  fu- 
gitives could  not  make  for  the  nearest  land.  And 
it  was  only  when  Jasper  Slyne  had  threatened,  on 
behalf  of  Gildersleeve  and  himself,  to  throw  up  their 
mutual  enterprise  altogether  unless  he  should  in- 
stantly proceed  on  his  voyage,  that  he  had  at  last 
abandoned  the  search,  assured  that  the  girl  and  her 
protege  must  have  reached  shore  and  present  safety 
in  spite  of  him. 

He  and  his  confederates  were,  of  course,  quite  in 
the  dark  as  to  what  steps  Tommy  Judson  might  take 
against  them  there,  and,  for  that  reason,  it  was  all 
the  more  urgent  that  they  should  get  to  their  jour- 
ney's end  at  the  earliest  moment  possible.  But  in 
that  connection  also  they  were  thrown  out  of  their 
reckoning,  for  the  hasty  repairs  in  the  engine  room 
which  had  been  done  at  New  York  proved  to  have 
been  quite  ineffective.  They  broke  down  at  sea  again 
on  four  successive  occasions  before  they  at  last  sighted 
the  distant  lights  of  El  Puerto  —  the  single  sea-port 
of  Nicazuela  —  on  the  very  eve  of  the  date  on  which 
the  President's  notes  fell  due.  And  Captain  Dove's 
disposition  became  more  deadly  on  each  occasion. 
Eustace  Gildersleeve  grew  to  dread  the  sight  of  his 
evil-tongued,  malignant-looking  accomplice,  whom 

164 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

only  Slyne  seemed  able  to  propitiate,  at  intervals, 
and  then  by  the  most  questionable  means.  The  two 
of  them  were  still  suffering  from  the  after-effects  of 
a  prolonged  drinking-bout  when  Reuben  Yoxall, 
conning  the  Olive  Branch  into  the  anchorage  off  the 
Port,  sent  word  to  his  superior  that  one  of  the  three 
men-of-war  lying  there  had  signaled  him  to  heave 
to. 

Captain  Dove  climbed  hastily  to  the  bridge  and 
blinked  at  the  flickering  lamps  a-swing  at  the  cruiser's 
yard. 

;<  What's  he  saying  now?  "  he  demanded  of  Yox- 
all, busy  at  the  binnacle  with  the  International  Code. 
'  Heave  to,  or  take  the  consequences,'  "  the  mate 
translated  surprisedly.     "  There  must  be  trouble  of 
some  sort  ashore !     What  answer  shall  I  run  up  ?  " 

Captain  Dove  would  dearly  have  liked  to  show 
the  insolent  stranger  his  teeth,  but  some  remnant  of 
native  prudence  restrained  him  from  displaying  too 
soon  the  force  that  the  Olive  Branch  could  bring  to 
bear  on  any  emergency  of  that  nature. 

"  Stop  her,"  he  snapped,  "  and  go  slow  astern." 

The  engine  room  answered  the  telegraph  promptly, 
and  the  Olive  Branch  came  to  a  quick  halt. 

'  That'll  do,"  said  Captain  Dove,  and  the  pro- 
peller almost  immediately  ceased  to  revolve.  He 
issued  a  few  more  short,  sharp  orders,  and  the  crew 
were  all  at  quarters  below,  the  guns  behind  the  blind 

165 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ports  on  the  'tween-deck  had  been  unhooded,  set 
square  in  their  trunnions,  and  served,  before  a  boat 
came  alongside,  a  voice  hailed  him  on  the  bridge. 

A  Jacob's-ladder  was  grudgingly  let  down.  A 
naval  officer  climbed,  none  too  nimbly,  on  board  the 
Olive  Branch,  and  him  Captain  Dove  confronted, 
with  a  very  fierce  expression,  under  the  dim  light  of 
a  deck-lamp. 

"  What  the  devil  d'you  mean  by  threatening  an 
American  ship  on  the  high  seas  I  "  Captain  Dove  de- 
manded truculently,  and  was  well  pleased  by  the  evi- 
dent perturbation  the  words  produced  in  his  visitor's 
mind. 

"  You  are  approach  too  near  us,"  replied  that  in- 
dividual with  a  deprecating  gesture.  "  We  are  of 
Portugal,  you  see.  To-morrow  we  perhaps  make 
war  to  Nicazuela.  And  then  at  noon-time  it  is 
needed  to  blockade  this  port.  We  thought  you 
navy  of  the  republic  —  but  you  are  United  States  of 
North  America  steam  vessel.  Good!  I  apologize 
mistake.  My  Admiral  sends  you  his  compliments 
of  season,  and  to  say —  Do  not  go  inside  port, 
but  then  come  out  again  before  noon-time  to-morrow 
—  for  these  blockade.  After  too  late,  impossible. 
You  understand.  Good!  I  salute  you,  Senhor 
Capitdo.  I  kiss  the  foot  to  you.  Good-nights." 

He  did  not  wait  for  any  acknowledgment  of  his 
remarks  or  for  any  answer,  but,  climbing  over  the 

166 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

side  again,  with  more  haste  than  dignity,  made  off 
at  once.  Captain  Dove's  wordless,  wrathful,  out- 
raged regard  had  been  too  much  for  him,  knowing, 
as  he  did,  how  essential  it  was  that  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  in  particular  should  suffer  no  disrespect  dur- 
ing the  operations  in  prospect. 

And  Captain  Dove  laughed  grimly  as  he  rejoined 
Reuben  Yoxall  on  the  bridge. 

"  We'll  run  up  the  old  Gridiron  to-morrow  at  sun- 
rise," he  said.  "  I  think  we'll  find  Uncle  Sam's  flag 
the  most  convenient  to  fly  in  these  waters.  Full 
speed  ahead,  Mr.  Yoxall,  and  take  her  in.  You 
know  where  we're  to  drop  anchor,  opposite  the  Casa 
Rosada." 

He  stayed  where  he  was  while  his  mate  took  the 
ship  round  under  the  sterns  of  the  watching  war- 
ships. It  was  his  wise  habit  to  leave  all  such 
work  in  his  subordinate's  hands  for  a  day  or  two 
after  any  carouse;  but,  as  soon  as  the  anchor  was 
let  go  at  the  western  end  of  the  roadstead,  he  went 
back  to  his  own  quarters  below,  where  he  found 
Eustace  Gildersleeve  and  Slyne  anxiously  awaiting 
him. 

They  were  very  much  aggrieved  by  the  news  he 
brought  them,  and  the  three  sat  up  late  discussing 
its  possible  effects  on  their  prospects  there.  But  in 
the  end  Dove,  drinking  still,  became  so  quarrelsome 
that  they  had  to  adjourn  to  their  berths  without  hav- 

167 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ing  come  to  any  very  clear  understanding,  except  of 
the  fact  that  he  wanted  more  money  from  them,  and 
meant  to  have  it  before  he  would  do  another  hands- 
turn.  He  seemed  to  have  forgotten  that  he  had  lately 
obtained  from  them  an  additional  thousand  dollars, 
on  the  plea  that  his  unpaid  men  were  once  more  on 
the  point  of  mutiny. 

Eustace  Gildersleeve  was  the  first  afoot  next  morn- 
ing. He  had  scarcely  slept  at  all.  And  he  had 
been  pacing  the  deck  for  an  hour,  before  the  other 
two  joined  him  there.  He  was  staring  disconsolately 
across  at  the  slip-shod  South  American  town  planted 
at  haphazard  on  a  narrow  strip  of  shore,  between 
the  mountain-face  which  overhung  it  and  the  sea  al- 
ways mumbling  at  its  sandy  foundations.  He  had 
been  wondering  what  his  old  asosciates  in  Wall  Street 
would  say  if  they  could  see  him  there. 

The  port-doctor's  launch  came  alongside,  delivered 
a  letter  addressed  to  Slyne,  and  steamed  off  again 
after  a  few  brief  questions  and  answers.  The  yellow 
flag  came  fluttering  down  from  the  fore.  One  of  the 
ship's  boats  was  lowered,  and,  immediately  after 
breakfast,  the  three  conspirators  went  ashore,  having 
finally  agreed  as  to  the  line  of  conduct  they  must 
pursue.  Captain  Dove  had  not  renewed  his  conten- 
tion of  overnight,  but  was  still  in  a  very  perverse 
humor. 

The  harbor-master  received  them  at  the  landing- 
168 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

stage  below  his  office  on  the  customs'  wharf,  and  him 
Dove  treated  with  abrupt  contempt.  But  Slyne,  act- 
ing as  interpreter,  was  very  assiduous  in  promoting 
peace  and  good  will.  And  when,  the  ship's  papers 
displayed  and  the  Olive  Branch  hurriedly  admitted 
to  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  Port,  that 
anxious  official  begged  him  to  convey  to  her  captain 
an  urgent  message  from  His  Excellency  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Republic,  he  felt  that  his  complaisance 
had  been  well-timed. 

"  Listen  here,  you  two,"  he  commanded,  and  there 
was  that  in  his  tone  which  compelled  the  others'  at- 
tention. '  This  chap  says  Casado  wants  to  see  Cap- 
tain Dove  at  once,  at  the  Casa  Rosada  —  a  mile 
away.  That  ramshackle  trap  at  the  door's  for  us. 
I'll  tell  him  we're  going  straight  out,  and  we'll  stop 
at  the  bank  in  passing." 

He  said  as  much  to  the  harbor-master,  and  the 
harbor-master  waited  to  hear  no  more,  but  made  at 
once  for  the  telephone.  Slyne  divined  his  purpose, 
and,  "  Come  on !  "  he  ordered,  in  his  usual  dic- 
tatorial way.  The  other  two  followed  him,  Eustace 
Gildersleeve  eagerly,  Captain  Dove  with  a  slow 
discontent,  meant  to  show  that  he  did  not  in- 
tend to  take  any  orders  from  Slyne,  who  was 
hurriedly  directing  one  of  their  boat's  crew  as 
to  a  message  which  must  immediately  reach  the  com- 
mandant of  the  fort  on  the  bluff  above. 

169 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Come  on !  "  Slyne  adjured  Captain  Dove  again 
from  within  the  conveyance  outside.  "  It  won't  help 
us  in  any  way  to  keep  the  President  waiting." 

"  Al  Banoc  de  Nicazuela"  he  told  the  driver,  "  y 
mas  ligero  que  el  diablo,  amigo!  " 

"  I've  told  him  to  drive  to  the  bank  like  the  devil," 
he  explained  patronizingly  as  the  rickety  vehicle  rat- 
tled over  the  cobbles  and  narrowly  shaved  a  no  less 
decrepit  lamp-post  at  the  street-corner.  "  We  must 
see  Waples  before  we  can  tackle  Casado  properly. 
Luck  seems  to  be  looking  a  little  our  way  at  present, 
and  —  we  may  as  well  make  the  most  of  it.  Pull 
yourself  together,  Dove,  damn  you !  Don't  try  any 
of  your  tantrums  on  me.  We  aren't  on  board  the 
Olive  Branch  now,  remember!  " 

Captain  Dove  ceased  sneering  to  grin  at  him,  a 
dog-toothed,  ferocious  grin. 

"  I'll  remember,"  said  he.  "  I've  got  a  good 
memory,  Slyne." 

Within  five  minutes  they  stopped  in  front  of  the 
Banco  de  Nicazuela,  a  one-story  building  of  plas- 
tered brick  with  massive  pillars  of  stucco,  at  a  corner 
of  the  unkempt  Plaza  Libertad,  the  principal  square 
of  El  Puerto,  and  they  all  alighted. 

*'  Yes,  el  Senor  Waples  is  in,"  said  the  native  clerk 
at  the  counter,  and  Slyne's  card  served  to  procure  for 
them  almost  immediate  admission  to  the  bank-man- 
ager's sanctum. 

170 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Mr.  Waples  himself  welcomed  them  at  its 
threshold,  a  bald-headed,  portly  personage,  in  a 
white  linen  suit,  with  a  palm-leaf  fan  in  one  hand. 

"  My  deah  Slyne !  "  said  he,  hand  outstretched, 
his  face  one  wide,  unctuous  smile;  and  his  carefully 
cultivated  manner  of  speech  did  not  prepossess  his 
two  other  visitors.  "  This  is  an  unexpected  pleashah ! 
What  good  wind  has  blown  you  in  heah  this  mo'ning, 
ch,  what?" 

"  Better  cut  all  that  sort  of  thing  right  out, 
Waples,"  Slyne  returned  frigidly.  "  You're  Welsh, 
you  know, —  and  they  don't  speak  that  way  in  Wales, 
or  in  London  either,  for  that  matter.  We've  come 
here  in  a  great  hurry  to  talk  straight  business.  This 
is  Eustace  Gildersleeve,  of  New  York.  He  wants 
the  money  due  to-day  on  those  promissory  notes  of 
the  President's.  And  he's  brought  Captain  Dove 
of  the  Olive  Branch  with  him,  to  see  that  he  gets  fair 
play. 

"  Gildersleeve,  this  is  my  '  deaH '  friend,  Cadwal- 
lader  Waples." 

The  banker  shook  a  fat,  playful  finger  at  him. 

"  The  same  old  sixpence !  "  said  he  affectionately. 
"  D'you  know,  Jaspah,  that  I've  ben  risking  my  life 
heah  to  help  your  friends.  I  wired  the  President 
yestahday  to  ask  what  I  was  to  do  about  those 
demned  notes,  and  he  sent  back  word  that  he'd  shoot 
me  as  soon  as  he  saw  me  1  I  heah  this  mo'ning  that 

171 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

he's  just  arrived  at  the  Casa  Rosada.  It's  only  a 
mile  away.  Why  don't  you  take  our  friend,  Mr. 
Gildahsleeve,  out  there,  and  talk  it  ovah  yourselves 
with  His  Excellency? 

"  You  know,  of  course,  that  we're  havin'  a  sort  of 
a  row  with  that  Portuguese  fellah  outside.  I've  had 
ordahs  to  stop  all  payments  till  that's  set  smooth. 
But,  at  the  same  time,  I'd  be  very  glad  indeed  to 
oblige  our  mutual  friend  Mr.  Gildahsleeve,  and  —  if 
you'll  bring  me  a  note  from  His  Excellency  author- 
izing me  to  broach  that  consignment  of  gold  you 
shipped  to  his  ordah  from  New  York,  I'll  be  de- 
lighted to  redeem  the  notes  in  part  with  that." 

His  voice  had  sunk  to  a  mysterious  whisper,  and 
he  favored  his  three  visitors  with  an  ineffably  im- 
pudent wink. 

Slyne  had  sat  down.  He  rose  again,  with  an  im- 
patient scowl. 

"  You're  wasting  our  time,  Waples,"  he  remarked, 
"  and  —  we  haven't  come  here  to  have  our  time 
wasted.  Is  the  safe  empty?  " 

"  Apart  from  the  consignment  of  gold  you  shipped 
from  New  York  to  His  Excellency's  ordah,  we 
haven't  a  hundred  pounds  in  the  shop,"  replied  Mr. 
Waples,  somewhat  more  dryly  than  he  had  yet 
spoken.  He  seemed  to  find  Jaspar  Slyne's  demeanor 
toward  him  irritating. 

"  Then  let  me  tell  you,  sir,  that  I  consider  you  a 
173 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

most  unmitigated  scoundrel !  "  cried  Eustace  Gilder- 
sleeve  suddenly,  in  a  white  rage.  He  knew  precisely 
how  much  Slyne's  consignment  of  gold  was  worth. 

"  Steady  on !  "  Captain  Dove  counseled  thickly, 
as  the  Welshman  started  up.  "  Don't  lose  your 
wool,  none  of  you. 

"  Sit  down,  you!  "  said  he,  confronting  the  irate 
banker  squarely,  "or — " 

Mr.  Cadwallader  Waples  sank  back  into  his 
managerial  chair.  He  saw  that,  in  this  squat,  veno- 
mous-looking seaman,  he  had  a  man  of  very  different 
caliber  from  Gildersleeve  to  deal  with.  And  Eustace 
Gildersleeve  was  no  less  prompt  in  obedience  —  he 
edged  toward  the  door  at  a  word. 

"What's  the  use  of  arguing  here?"  Captain 
Dove  demanded  of  them,  "  if  there's  no  money  to 
be  made  out  of  it.  Our  business  is  with  Casado 
himself.  What  we're  working  with  is  his  promise 
to  pay.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  our  smart  friend 
there  " —  he  jerked  a  derisive  thumb  at  Slyne  — 
"  we'd  be  talking  sense  to  him  by  this  time,  instead 
of  —  Come  on,  both  of  you !  and  I'll  take  charge  of 
the  entertainment  now." 

He  swaggered  out  after  them,  banging  the  door 
behind  him,  and  left  Mr.  Cadwallader  Waples,  limp 
and  perspiring  freely  in  spite  of  his  fan,  without  so 
much  as  a  backward  glance.  And  for  a  moment  or 
two  the  bank-manager  was  exceedingly  wroth.  But 

173 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

he  very  soon  recovered  his  wonted  equanimity,  and  a 
glistening,  oleaginous  smile  enwreathed  his  visage 
again. 

"  The  little  blightah !  "  said  he  to  himself  dispar- 
agingly, and  then  fell  to  chuckling,  in  gleeful  anticipa- 
tion. "  The  little  blightah !  He  was  positively 
rude  to  me !  But  I'll  pay  him  out  for  that  presently, 
and  Slyne  —  and  that  fellah  Gildahsleeve  too,  the 
demned  boundah!  I  think  they'll  all  be  sorry  for 
their  behaviah  to  me  before  they  leave  Nicazuela. 
If  Fermin  Casado  weren't  quite  so  infernally  apt  to 
forget  what  a  good  friend  I've  been  to  him,  I'd  ride 
out  to  his  place  after  them,  just  for  the  pleashah  of 
seeing  them  all  marched  off  to  the  calabozo!  But 
—  I'll  go  and  pay  them  a  call  there,  in  the  after- 
noon. It's  too  deuced  hot  just  now  to  do  anything 
but  sit  heah  and  drip!  I'd  give  a  good  deal  to  be 
back  on  the  shady  side  of  Pall  Mall  for  a  bit." 

It  was,  in  fact,  unpleasantly  warm,  and  the  dusty 
road  that  leads  from  the  Port  to  the  president's 
sea-side  villa  was  baking  under  the  sun.  Captain 
Dove  was  exceedingly  thirsty  by  the  time  that  the 
rickety  carriage  had  clattered  across  the  bridge  span- 
ning the  ravine  and  turned  into  the  grateful  shade 
of  the  palms.  It  drew  up  before  the  porch  of  the 
Casa  Rosada,  and  at  a  call  from  the  sentry  there  a 
servant  came  forward,  who  looked  somewhat  doubt- 
fully at  the  party.  But  Slyne  whispered  a  word  or 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

two  in  his  ear,  and  he  ushered  them  all  into  a  cool, 
darkened  room,  opening  off  the  arched  and  paved 
passageway  that  led  to  the  patio,  with  a  single  and 
very  heavily  grated  window  through  the  slats  of 
whose  sun-shutter  there  was  visible  a  wide  vista 
seaward.  Captain  Dove  crossed  to  this  and  gazed 
fixedly  out  at  the  Olive  Branch  in  the  offing. 

The  servant  brought  in  a  tray  with  refreshments, 
and  he  turned  in  haste  to  help  himself  from  the 
brandy-decanter.  Scarcely  had  he  swallowed  a  brim- 
ming glassful  of  the  raw  spirit  when  President  Ca- 
sado  himself  appeared. 

"Captain  Dove?"  inquired  His  Excellency,  in 
mellifluous  accents,  peering  about  him  in  the  half- 
light.  But  it  was  Slyne  who  stepped  forward,  while 
Captain  Dove  moved  round  behind  him  and  closed 
the  door. 


175 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CHECK  —  AND  CHECKMATE 

THE  President  peered  for  a  moment  longer  at 
the  figure  before  him,  and  the  smile  faded 
from  his  face,  left  it  rigidly  expressionless. 

"  You  Slyne  I  "  he  said  at  length,  in  a  very  differ- 
ent voice.  "How  came  you  here, —  amigof" 

But  Jasper  Slyne  met  his  glance  of  cold  menace 
with  a  calm  assurance  that  made  him  pause.  He 
looked  round  and  caught  sight  of  Captain  Dove,  at 
the  closed  door;  saw  Gildersleeve,  a  stooping  shadow, 
in  a  dark  corner.  'As  Slyne  crossed  to  the  window, 
and  set  the  sun-shutters  wide  enough  apart  to  flood 
the  room  with  light,  His  Excellency's  hand  slipped 
to  a  hip-pocket,  and  fell  to  his  side  again  with  a 
revolver  underneath  the  sleeve  of  his  smart  uniform, 
its  muzzle  nestling  in  his  fingers.  He  was  not  un- 
accustomed to  cope  with  contingencies  of  the  sort. 

Slyne  turned  toward  him  again,  and  answered  his 
question. 

"  I  came  here  with  Captain  Dove,  of  the  Olive 
'Branch  —  amigo"  said  he,  a  tinge  of  mockery  in  his 
tone.  "  That's  Captain  Dove,  there,  behind  you. 

176 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

This  gentleman  is  Eustace  Gildersleeve,  of  New 
York,  my  partner  in  our  financial  transactions. 
We've  come  to  get  payment  of  those  promissory 
notes  of  yours  that  fall  due  to-day. 

"  And  if  you'll  kindly  put  that  pistol  of  yours 
away,"  he  went  on  more  affably,  well  pleased  with 
the  impression  he  had  produced,  "  we'll  all  sit  down. 
Captain  Dove  has  you  covered,  you  see,  and  — " 

He  carried  a  chair  to  the  door  for  Dove,  who 
stayed  there  on  guard  but  followed  Casado's  exam- 
ple in  pocketing  the  weapon  he  had  produced.  The 
President  moved  toward  the  table,  and,  before  seat- 
ing himself,  poured  out  a  glass  of  wine,  which  he 
held  up  with  a  perfectly  steady  hand. 

"  I  drink  to  your  health,  gentlemen,"  he  declared 
with  a  composure  invincible.  "  May  you  find  the 
climate  of  Nicazuela  entirely  salubrious  while  you 
continue  to  honor  my  poor  country  with  your  pres- 
ence!" 

"  Thank  you,  President,"  Eustace  Gildersleeve  put 
in,  precipitately,  on  tenterhooks  till  the  object  of 
their  incursion  should  be  assured.  "  Thank  you, 
President,  but  —  we  don't  mean  to  remain  any 
longer  than  need  be.  If  you  can  make  it  conven- 
ient now  to  let  us  have  settlement  —  even  of  the 
principal  sum  — " 

He  stopped,  with  a  sinking  heart,  and  looked  pite- 
ously  over  at  Slyne,  whose  only  response  was  a  glare 

177 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

of  indignant  contempt,  as  Casado  held  up  a  hand 
in  plaintive  appeal,  slowly  shaking  his  head.  And  it 
was  to  Slyne  that  the  President  spoke  again  presently, 
on  reflection,  taking  for  granted  that  he  was  already 
conversant  with  the  situation  in  Nicazuela. 

"  It's  very  unfortunate  for  us  all,"  he  said  feel- 
ingly, "this  disagreement  with  Portugal!  You  are, 
of  course,  aware,  my  dear  Slyne,  that  my  Minister 
of  Finance  has  been  in  treaty  with  Berlin  for  a  new 
issue  of  cedulas?  —  out  of  the  proceeds  of  which 
he  intended  to  set  aside  a  sum  sufficient  to  meet  your 
claim  on  the  Treasury. 

"  But  now,  alas  I  you  can  see  for  yourself  how  we 
stand.  The  Germans  seem  to  be  making  common 
cause  against  us  with  Portugal.  At  the  last  moment 
they  have  canceled  the  almost  completed  negotia- 
tions. The-  Treasury  is  without  resources  of  any 
sort,  and  the  Banco  de  Nicazuela  has  had  to  sus- 
pend payment." 

Again  he  held  up  his  hand,  as  if  to  bespeak  their 
sufferance  for  a  moment  longer. 

"  My  Minister  of  Finance,"  he  said,  "  would  have 
returned  to  you  intact,  under  such  circumstances,  the 
last  consignment  of  specie  you  shipped  to  us  from 
New  York.  But  our  war-chest  also  was  empty,  our 
army  unpaid.  And  we  are  about  to  fight  for  our 
life  as  a  nation.  Can  you  find  it  in  your  heart  to 

178 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

blame  him  for  making  use  of  it  in  such  a  sacred  pur- 
pose! " 

"  Waples  tells  me  he's  still  got  it  stowed  away  in 
the  vaults  at  the  bank,"  Slyne  countered  mischiev- 
ously. He  had  merely  been  amused  by  His  Ex- 
cellency's initial  tricks  of  defense,  for,  knowing  the 
South  American  mind  as  he  did,  he  felt  himself  mas- 
ter of  the  situation. 

A  latent  devil  looked  from  Casado's  eyes  for  an 
instant,  and  disappeared  again  as  the  President 
smiled  urbanely. 

"  Our  good  Waples,"  he  remarked,  "  is  not  well 
advised.  But  let  that  pass  —  since  you  know  the 
facts  of  the  case  now." 

"  The  only  fact  I  am  concerned  with,"  said  Slyne 
inexorably,  "  is  that  your  notes  for  thirty  million 
American  dollars,  plus  interest,  are  due  to-day  and 
hereby  presented  for  payment."  He  drew  from  a 
pocket  two  very  elaborately  stamped  and  sealed 
documents  on  official  blue  paper,  held  these  up  that 
all  might  see  them,  and  thrust  them  away  again. 
"  The  only  fact  that  you're  concerned  with  at  the 
present  is  —  that  payment  must  be  made,  here  and 
now!" 

"  That's  the  way  to  talk!  "  grunted  Captain  Dove 
in  the  background.  His  patience  had  been  sorely  tried 

by  the  futile  preliminaries  to  this  direct  declaration 

179 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

of  their  set  purpose.  And  he  felt  hastily  for  his 
revolver-butt  as  President  Casado  sprang  from  his 
chair. 

"  Must !  "  cried  President  Casado,  his  teeth 
gleaming  whitely  between  his  moustache  and  beard. 
"Payment  'must'  be  made!  Mr.  Slyne.  You  are 
strangely  insolent  —  or  can  it  be  that  you  really 
think  you  can  dictate  to  me  in  such  terms !  " 

"  Don't  waste  any  of  your  black  looks  on  me," 
Slyne  returned,  in  no  way  perturbed  by  the  presence 
towering  above  him,  glad  rather,  since  he  held  the 
whip-hand,  to  be  done  with  unmeaning  politeness. 
For  the  recollection  of  Fermin  Casado's  treachery 
to  himself  was  still  rankling  sorely.  "  I'm  talking 
straight  to  you  now.  You  do  the  same  by  me,  if 
you  can.  There's  no  use  in  being  melodramatic 
about  a  plain  business  proposition. 

"  I  said  payment  must  be  made,  here  and  now. 
You  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  you  have  the  means 
here  to  make  it.  Better  not  force  me  to  employ  the 
means  I  have  to  compel  you." 

Casado's  furious  face  had  become  suddenly  calm 
again.  His  anger  had  given  place  to  a  quick  curi- 
osity. Slyne  seemed  to  know  much  more  than  he 
should.  He  must  find  out  exactly  how  much  Slyne 
knew,  and  what  these  mysterious  threats  meant.  He 
sat  down  again,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 

"  I  had  forgotten,"  he  said  loftily,  "  the  man- 
180 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ners  of  you  American  men  of  business.  It's  perhaps 
as  well  for  you,  friend  Slyne,  that  I  am  not  quite 
so  abrupt  as  yourself  —  or  you  might  have  been 
standing  face  to  a  wall  in  the  courtyard  by  now,  with 
a  firing-party  behind  you !  But  you  and  your  friends 
may  not  be  aware  that  my  life-guards  are  camped 
within  call  of  us  here!  " 

Slyne  smiled,   indifferently. 

"  Colonel  Scarlett  wouldn't  take  that  idea  as  a 
compliment,"  he  responded.  "  I've  heard  him  tell 
you  before  now  that  he  isn't  a  hired  butcher.  And 
in  any  case  you'd  die  first,  you  know.  Captain  Dove 
uses  soft-nosed  bullets  —  and  I'm  told  they  hurt  a 
good  deal! 

"  But  —  what's  the  use  of  trying  to  bluff  me  as 
you've  been  doing.  We  surely  know  each  other  well 
enough  not  to  waste  time  in  that  way !  " 

Casado  rolled  and  lighted  a  cigarette,  very  delib- 
erately. 

"  Touching  these  notes  of  yours,"  he  remarked 
from  behind  a  thin  blue  curtain  of  smoke,  "  you  tell 
me  that  I  have  the  means  to  redeem  them.  Perhaps 
you  can  tell  me  also  where  those  means  are?  I 
should  be  glad  to  lay  hands  on  them." 

The  cigarette  between  his  lips  shook  a  little.  His 
narrowed  eyes  were  very  intent,  expectant. 

"  They're  here,  in  this  house,"  Slyne  answered 
without  hesitation,  and  the  curt  words  told  Casado 

181 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

that  his  most  cherished  secret  was  his  no  longer.  In 
his  nimble  mind  he  cast  about  for  the  identity  of  his 
betrayer. 

'  You  know  one  Jose  Maria  Moreno?  "  he  asked, 
and,  although  Slyne  shook  his  head  and  looked  very 
blank,  felt  sure  that  he  had  not  erred  in  his  surmise. 

"  Jose  Maria  Moreno,"  he  mentioned  casually, 
"  is  a  traitor  to  his  country  —  a  renegade —  a  verit- 
able Judas!  But  credit  me,  friend  Slyne,  with  so 
much  intelligence  at  least  as  to  have  rendered  worth- 
less any  information  he  might  impart  to  my  enemies. 
Here,  in  this  house,  there  are  the  barest  necessaries 
of  existence  —  and  nothing  more." 

The  quiet  simplicity  of  his  demeanor  might  have 
deceived  anyone  who  knew  him  less  intimately  than 
did  Slyne.  But  Slyne  did  not  deem  it  worth  while 
to  contradict  him. 

"  You  tell  me  also  that  you  have  means  to  compel 
me,"  said  the  President  with  an  impatient  smile. 
"  It  isn't  a  very  wise  policy  to  use  empty  threats  to 
me,  Slyne !  " 

Jasper  Slyne  delayed  answering  to  help  himself  to 
a  glass  of  brandy,  as  a  nerve-tonic,  and,  at  a  signal 
from  Dove,  carried  a  dram  over  to  him.  They  ex- 
changed a  quick  glance  of  agreement,  while  Eustace 
Gildersleeve,  looking  on,  groaned  impotently.  His 
Excellency  the  President,  composed  and  placid  in 
spite  of  the  urgent  issues  that  hung  on  the  hour, 

182 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

continued  to  smoke,  as  if  all  time  were  at  his  dis- 
posal. An  iron  hand  depends  upon  nerves  of  iron, 
and  needs  no  artificial  stimulant. 

Slyne  did  not  sit  down  again  but  crossed  over  to 
the  window  and  looked  out  between  the  heavy  bars 
of  its  ornamental  grille. 

"  Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  Reconquista,  Ca- 
sado  ? "  he  asked  suddenly,  and  Casado  started. 
For  he  had  very  often  heard  of  the  Reconquista. 
And,  although  years  had  elapsed  since  she  and  her 
cut-throat  crew  had  acquired  the  ill-fame  that  still 
clung  to  her  memory,  had  harried  a  whole  republic, 
and  had  helped  at  the  killing  of  three  of  his  col- 
leagues in  quick  succession,  it  startled  him  dispro- 
portionately to  hear  her  thus  casually  referred  to, 
at  such  an  inconvenient  juncture. 

Slyne  beckoned  him  over.  He  rose  and  went  to 
the  window,  a  supercilious  sneer  disguising  his  un- 
easy consciousness  of  the  others'  close  regard. 

"  That's  the  Reconquista''  said  Slyne,  pointing  to 
the  solitary  steamer  at  anchor  within  that  arc  of  the 
roadstead  enclosed  by  the  Portuguese  war-ships. 
"  She's  called  the  Olive  Branch  now.  And  Captain 
Dove  will  no  doubt  explain  to  you,  if  you  haven't  al- 
ready heard  of  her,  what  sort  of  ship  she  is." 

"  She's  a  twin-screw  steamer  of  twenty-eight  hun- 
dred tons,"  Captain  Dove  volunteered,  in  jocular 
vein,  from  the  background.  "  Quadruple-expansion 

183 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

engines,  giving  a  steady  fifteen  knots  on  a  coal-bill  of 
—  but,  bless  me !  What  am  I  talking  about ! 
That's  not  what  you  want  to  know,  is  it? 

"  She's  lying  broadside  on  to  this  house,  and  she's 
moored  stem  and  stern,  to  keep  her  just  so.  There 
are  four  quick-firing  guns  on  that  broadside,  and 
more  of  the  same  sort  elsewhere  on  board.  My 
gunners  can  give  points  to  the  pick  out  of  any  navy 
you  like,  and  they've  got  their  range  to  an  inch. 
There's  a  whole  regiment  of  men  —  same's  I  had  on 
her  when  she  was  the  Rcconquista — waiting  below 
under  arms,  till  — 

"  If  we  aren't  back  on  board,  with  that  money 
you  owe  us,  by  one  o'clock  to  a  second,  she'll  open 
fire  on  you  here  while  their  boats  are  racing  each 
other  ashore,  and  —  then,  perhaps,  you'll  be  sorry 
you  didn't  pay  us.  You  won't  find  my  lambs  so 
easy  to  deal  with  as  the  Portuguese  I  " 

He  threw  up  his  chin  and  chuckled  discordantly. 
Eustace  Gildersleeve  looked  askance  at  him,  moving 
uneasily  at  the  harsh  sound  of  this  mirth. 

President  Casado,  however,  showed  no  particular 
sign  of  concern  in  the  information  afforded  him.  He 
exhaled  through  his  aquiline  nose  two  spirals  of 
smoke,  glanced  again  and  without  any  evident  in- 
crease of  interest,  at  the  ugly  little  gray  steamship 
which  had  once  wrought  such  havoc  among  his  near 
neighbors,  and  turned  listlessly  back  toward  the  table. 

184 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

But  for  all  his  outward  indifference  he  was  very  ill 
at  ease  inwardly.  He  knew  only  too  well  of  what  the 
Reconqulsta  —  the  Olive  Branch  —  was  capable. 
The  Red  Cross  Flag,  by  means  of  which  he  had 
meant  to  save  the  villa  from  being  shelled  by  the 
Portuguese  war-ships,  would,  he  knew,  avail  nothing 
against  her,  and  —  to  have  the  house  sacked  and 
looted  would  mean  total  ruin  to  him.  Neither  could 
he  hope  that  his  trusted  life-guards  might  long  with- 
stand the  desperadoes  who  would  swarm  ashore 
under  cover  of  the  ship's  guns.  It  would  be  sheer 
madness  to  seek  reinforcements  among  the  unpaid, 
disaffected  troops  of  the  line  in  garrison  at  the  Port. 
There  was  assuredly  nothing  for  it  but  to  temporize. 
He  had  realized  at  that  moment  the  perilous  predica- 
ment in  which  he  now  stood,  and  was  now  desperately 
seeking  some  safe  way  out  of  it. 

"  It's  a  great  pity,  Slyne,"  he  suggested  slowly, 
"  that  you've  thought  fit  to  adopt  such  a  dictatorial 
attitude  toward  me.  You  ought  to  know  me  better 
than  that,  amigo!  You  ought  to  know  that  no  man 
living  can  drive  me  as  you've  been  trying  to  do.  I 
care  not  a  snap  of  the  fingers  for  your  foolishly  con- 
ceived attempt  at  coercion  —  I  have  but  to  telephone 
the  fort  and  it  will  blow  the  Olive  Branch  out  of  the 
water  for  me  — " 

"  Oh,  no,  it  won't,"  Slyne  broke  in  eagerly,  under- 
standing the  drift  of  this  preface.  "  The  fort's  on 

185 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

our  side,  Casado.  I've  been  in  touch  with  the  com- 
mandant for  some  time  past,  and  —  I  spiked  all  his 
guns  this  morning  with  a  few  fifty-dollar  bills." 

Eustace  Gildersleeve  groaned  again.  He  it  was 
who  had  provided,  under  the  direst  pressure  on 
Slyne's  part  and  from  an  all  but  empty  purse,  the 
cash  to  carry  out  this  piece  of  strategy.  It  hurt  him 
to  hear  his  sorely  grudged  money  thus  grandiosely 
referred  to. 

"  And  since  you  don't  seem  disposed  to  talk 
sense,"  Slyne  went  on,  with  another  angry  glance  at 
his  wretched  partner,  "  we  needn't  stop  to  argue. 
You  won't  be  led,  and  we're  going  to  call  your  bluff 
that  no  man  living  can  drive  you.  Off  you  go,  Dove 
—  and  you  too,  Gildersleeve.  We'll  blow  this  build- 
ing to  blazes,  and  see  whether  we  can  find  what  we're 
after  somewhere  among  its  foundations." 

Casado  swallowed  down  a  lump  in  his.  throat. 
Dove  was  already  on  his  feet,  at  the  door,  fumbling 
with  the  key,  Eustace  Gildersleeve,  almost  whim- 
pering, at  his  heels.  Slyne  turned  swiftly  to  the 
President  and  their  lips  moved. 

"  Wait  a  minute,  Dove,"  he  commanded,  and  that 
captious  seaman  swung  about  with  a  scowl. 

"  D'ye  take  me  for  a  damned  deck-hand,  curse 
you  I  "  he  snarled,  "  with  your  '  off  you  go,'  and 
your  '  wait  a  minute ! '  I'll  trouble  you  for  a  good 
deal  less  of  your  infernal  familiarity,  Mister  Slyne  1  " 

186 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Don't  get  hot,  now,"  urged  Slyne  soothingly, 
"  or  you'll  spoil  everything.  This  is  no  time  to 
stand  on  ceremony.  His  Excellency  has  a  proposal 
to  make,  and  —  you  know  quite  well  what  will  hap- 
pen if  we  don't  get  our  business  done  and  show  up 
on  board  again  in  good  time." 

He  carried  another  drink  to  Dove,  still  swelling 
and  snorting  before  the  door,  and  Dove  accepted  it 
grudgingly. 

"  We're  going  to  deal  with  each  other  as  friends 
now,"  said  Slyne,  and  looked  encouragingly  at  Ca- 
sado,  who  nodded  a  condescending  assent  to  that 
statement. 

"  Had  you  come  here  as  friends  in  the  first 
place,"  His  Excellency  observed,  in  a  tone  of  mild 
rebuke,  "  there  need  have  been  no  such  regrettable 
misunderstanding  between  us.  I  sent  for  Captain 
Dove,  indeed,  to  ask  whether  he  would  charter  the 
Olive  Branch  to  me,  for  a  trip  to  Europe." 

He  saw  that  his  sudden  change  of  front  had  sur- 
prised them  all  beyond  measure,  and  went  on  im- 
passively, dovetailing  together  in  his  quick  mind 
while  he  spoke  all  the  details  of  a  new  and  desperate 
resolution. 

"  If  we  can  come  to  terms  for  that  charter  and  get 
my  cargo  safely  on  board,  I  think  I  can  promise  you 
that  the  principal  sum  due  on  Mr.  Gildersleeve's 
notes  will  be  paid  in  full  on  the  passage.  I  don't 

187 


suppose  Mr.  Gildersleeve  will  object  to  accompany 
us  on  that  understanding?  " 

Eustace  Gildersleeve's  eyes  were  glistening,  and 
he  almost  choked  as  he  strove  to  signify  his  entire 
acquiescence.  Captain  Dove  would  at  once  have  un- 
dertaken, free  of  all  charge,  the  charter  proposed  — 
not  one  of  them  was  in  the  least  doubt  as  to  the  ob- 
ject of  the  voyage  suggested  or  what  the  cargo  would 
be  —  but  Slyne,  who  had  been  watching  His  Ex- 
cellency very  narrowly,  once  more  interposed. 

"  Where  have  you  got  it  all  stowed  away,  Ca- 
sado?  We're  ready  to  deal  straight  with  you,  but 
—  you  must  give  us  some  guarantee  of  good 
faith." 

The  President  met  his  gaze  with  a  frankness 
that  might  have  disarmed  mistrust. 

"  You're  very  suspicious,  friend  Slyne,"  he  re- 
marked with  a  shrug,  "  but  —  come  with  me,  if  you 
will,  and  I'll  show  you  the  cargo  I  want  to  ship  on 
the  Olive  Branch  —  before  the  Portuguese  come 
ashore  and  take  possession  of  it." 

"  All  right,"  said  Slyne  sharply,  with  a  return  to 
his  former  manner.  "  Go  ahead  —  and  you  know 
what'll  happen  to  you  if  you  try  any  tricks  on  us !  " 

"  I  understood  you  to  say  that  we're  going  to  deal 
with  each  other  as  friends !  "  Casado  returned,  cor- 
recting him  for  his  tone  with  a  serious  dignity  meant 

188 


A    YOUNG    MAN    IN 
UNIFORM     IN     EARNEST 
CONVERSATION  WITH    A    HAND- 
SOME    GIRL     LYING     LITHE     AND 
GRACEFUL    IN    A    HAMMOCK 


~.  __  't    .  "  '  '  V      <  I  - 


:-!:   j,;j. 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

to  remind  him  to  whom  he  was  speaking,  to 
which  Slyne  was  impervious. 

Captain  Dove,  relieved  by  this  compact  from  his 
duty  at  the  door,  came  forward  and  refreshed  hin> 
self  again.  They  left  the  room  together  and  turned 
inward,  through  a  cool,  shady  courtyard,  on  which 
opened  many  doors,  where  a  plashing  fountain  kept 
a  wealth  of  flowers  alive.  Skirting  that,  they  came 
on  a  young  man  in  uniform,  in  earnest  conversation 
with  a  handsome  girl  lying,  lithe  and  graceful,  in 
a  luxurious  hammock,  and  them  the  volatile  Slyne 
greeted  gaily,  the  girl  in  correct  Castilian  and  the 
youth  in  colloquial  English.  But  they  answered  him 
in  a  manner  gravely  reserved,  and  he  passed  on, 
laughing. 

'  You'll  be  losing  Dona  Carmen  one  of  these 
days,  I  doubt,  Casado,"  he  said,  and  His  Excellency 
laughed  lightly  also,  with  no  less  sang-froid. 

Captain  Dove  was  chiefly  interested  in  the  plan 
of  the  place,  which  seemed  to  have  been  built  to  with- 
stand a  siege.  In  shape  it  was  quadrilateral,  divided 
into  two  squares.  Through  an  arched  passageway, 
corresponding  to  that  at  the  entrance,  in  the  cham- 
bered division  between  these,  with  a  great  iron  gate 
at  each  end  standing  open,  they  reached  an  interior 
courtyard,  flower-filled  also,  and  cooled  by  another 
fountain.  But  the  massive  marble  walls  that  en- 

189 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

closed  the  patio  there  were  blank  except  for  a  few 
infinitesimal  grated  windows  and  a  single,  steel- 
sheathed  door  in  a  corner  at  a  safe  angle  from  the 
passage-way. 

"  My  private  apartments,"  Casado  explained  un- 
concernedly as  he  thrust  a  key  into  the  lock.  And 
Eustace  Gildersleeve  started  apprehensively  as  the 
door  clanged  to  behind  them.  The  place  was  too 
like  a  prison  to  suit  his  taste. 

They  passed  through  a  succession  of  cool,  dark 
rooms,  all  opening  into  one  another  in  the  South 
American  style,  till  they  came  at  last  to  a  little  one, 
very  plainly  furnished  for  sleeping,  overlooking  the 
broad  ravine  on  one  bank  of  which  the  villa  was 
built.  From  a  cupboard  there  Casado  supplied  them 
with  candles,  and  they  lit  these  while  he  was  lifting 
a  table  and  rug  from  over  a  trap-door  in  the  flooring. 
Through  that  they  reached  a  spacious  cellar,  hewn 
out  of  the  living  rock,  in  which  were  ranged  in  long 
ranks  a  great  number  of  casks,  very  dimly  visible  by 
the  insufficient  light  they  had  with  them. 

The  atmosphere  underground  was  eerie  in  the  ex- 
treme. No  one  spoke.  Casado  paused,  to  look  cu- 
riously at  Slyne,  but  Slyne  still  raised  interrogative 
eyebrows  and  the  President  saw  that  he  knew  too 
much  to  be  put  off  by  any  pretext.  He  went  on 
again,  and  finally  stopped  in  front  of  a  big,  dusty  bar- 
rel exactly  like  all  the  others. 

190 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

His  three  companions  stood  over  him,  watching 
inquisitively,  while  he  inserted  in  it  a  spigot  he  had 
brought  with  him  and  the  water  with  which  it  was 
filled  ran  slowly  to  waste  in  a  sloping  gutter  with  an 
infinitesimal  outlet  from  which  he  had  drawn  a  small 
wooden  plug.  The  cask  empty,  he  easily  tipped  it 
off  its  dusty  trestles  and  so  uncovered  another  trap- 
door it  had  concealed.  Slyne  understood  then  how 
invaluable  Jose  Maria  Moreno's  lost  plans  might 
have  been:  for,  to  have  hurriedly  stove  in  all  those 
casks  in  search  of  that  opening  and  with  the  outlet 
plugged,  would  merely  have  flooded  the  cellar  and 
baffled  further  research.  A  crude  device,  yet  one  that 
might  have  proved  very  serviceable  in  time  of  stress. 

Casado,  stooping,  cast  back  two  carefully  oiled 
bolts,  unlocked  and  lifted  the  heavy  door  with  an  ef- 
fort. It  was  wet  on  the  under  side.  Looking  down, 
they  saw  a  small  square  of  black,  stagnant  water, 
level  with  the  lip  of  the  opening. 

"  I  keep  the  lower  vault  flooded,  from  the  ravine," 
he  explained  patiently,  in  answer  to  their  angrily  im- 
patient glances,  and,  crossing  to  the  outer  wall,  under 
Captain  Dove's  watchful  convoy,  lifted  an  invisible 
lever  there  to  its  full  extent.  The  still  surface  of 
the  water  stirred  and  sucked. 

Within  ten  minutes  the  vault  below  was  as  dry 
as  it  might  be  made,  and  throughout  that  space  of 
time  Casado  stood  silently  at  the  trap-door,  facing 

191 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

the  others.  But  no  one  of  them  could  read  the  least 
of  the  thoughts  that  were  chasing  each  other  through 
his  busy  brain. 

"  You  go  first,"  Slyne  requested  of  him.  "  Got 
your  gun  handy,  Dove?  You  stay  on  top,  Gilder- 
sleeve,  and  stand  by  the  hatch.  D'ye  hear?  " 

Casado  went  down  the  slippery  steps  without 
demur,  Dove  following  him,  revolver  in  hand,  and 
Slyne  came  last  with  his  candle.  He  looked  breath- 
lessly about  him  —  and  his  lips  parted  in  a  swift, 
triumphant  smile.  He  saw  there  what  he  had  hoped 
and  dreamed  he  might  see  —  varnished  bullion- 
boxes,  all  glistening  wet,  stacked  as  high  as  the  arched 
rock-roof,  a  heap  of  waterproof  oilskin  bags  in  a  cor- 
ner, a  couple  of  pairs  of  soaked  mule-panniers  with 
lids  agape  thrown  carelessly  to  one  side.  Almost 
within  his  eager  grasp  lay  wealth  which  promised  to 
exceed  his  wildest  hopes  and  dreams. 

He  darted  forward,  his  face  suffused,  set  his  light 
down,  and  pulled  at  one  of  the  boxes.  It  was  no 
less  weighty  than  he  had  anticipated.  He  lifted  it 
down,  and  with  his  knife  picked  frantically  at  the 
wax  with  which  its  countersunk  lock  had  been  made 
watertight. 

"  The  key,  Casado,"  he  ordered  hoarsely,  and  the 
President  loosened  one  from  the  key-ring  attached  to 
a  chain  at  his  hip.  It  would  have  been  idle  to  hesi- 
tate, with  Captain  Dove's  squat  shadow  so  close  to 

192 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

his  own,  the  muzzle  of  Captain  Dove's  revolver  no 
more  than  a  foot  from  his  ribs,  and  Captain  Dove's 
eager  finger  fondling  the  trigger.  He  did  not  even 
dare  to  look  round  at  that  other  shadow  which 
seemed  to  be  creeping  upon  them. 

It  crept  still  closer,  without  a  sound,  a  lean,  stoop- 
ing, covetous  shadow,  and,  just  as  Slyne  succeeded  in 
prying  open  the  lid  of  the  box  he  was  bending  over, 
Casado  sprang  suddenly  backward,  pushed  Eustace 
Gildersleeve  headlong  into  Dove's  arms.  Their 
candles  fell  sputtering  in  a  pool  on  the  floor.  Dove 
hurled  his  unseen  assailant  aside  with  a  beast-like 
howl  and  made  for  the  trap-door.  Had  he  reached 
it  an  instant  sooner,  it  would  have  brained  him  as 
it  descended.  Slyne  thrust  after  him,  set  his  shoul- 
der, too,  to  the  hatch.  Together  they  heaved,  and 
strained,  and  panted  there  in  the  darkness.  But  it 
was  useless.  Casado,  above,  had  already  got  both 
bolts  shot. 

He  was  still  kneeling  on  the  casing,  his  chest  labor- 
ing. Great  drops  of  perspiration  had  broken  out 
on  his  forehead.  He  leaned  forward  on  his  hands, 
and  they  trembled  under  him.  But  presently  he  got 
up,  and  felt  his  way,  staggering,  to  where  the  lever 
of  the  outlet-sluice  was  hidden.  He  let  it  fall,  noise- 
lessly, found  the  hydrant  by  means  of  which  he  might 
flood  the  vault,  and  turned  that  partly  on. 

"The  slower  the  better!"  said  he  savagely  to 
193 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

himself.     "  They'll  no  doubt  need  all  the  time  they'll 
have  for  repentance." 

He  lifted  on  to  its  trestles  again  the  empty  cask 
which  served  to  hide  the  trap-door,  and,  turning  to 
leave  the  cellar,  paused,  listened  very  attentively. 
But  no  least  sound  came  from  below.  The  heavy, 
steel-cased  covering  fitted  tight  as  a  coffin-lid. 


194 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A   MASTERLY   MOVE 

IN  the  bedroom  above,  Casado  hurriedly  brushed 
himself  down,  dried  his  wet  boots  with  a  hand- 
towel,  and,  having  assured  himself  that  his  uni- 
form showed  no  perceptible  trace  of  the  trying  ex- 
perience he  had  just  undergone,  went  back  into  the 
living  world  again,  without  devoting  another  thought 
to  the   three   doomed  wretches   below.     The   iron 
hand,  at  which  men  safe  from  its  grip  might  laugh 
in  their  ignorance,  had  behind  it  an  iron  heart. 

In  the  cool,  shady  outer  courtyard  he  found  Ulick 
Scarlett  still  hanging  over  the  hammock  from  which 
the  Dona  Carmen  was  still  looking  lazily  up  into  that 
lovelorn  youth's  ardent  eyes.  And  the  girl  sprang 
to  her  feet  in  a  white  foam  of  rustling  skirts  as  her 
father  approached. 

The  President  smiled  benignly  on  both  of  them. 

"  Will  you  tell  Colonel  Scarlett  I'd  be  very  glad 
to  see  him  —  at  once,  please,  Ulick?"  he  ordered, 
and,  as  the  young  man  sped  away  on  that  mission, 
he  drew  his  daughter's  arm  into  his,  and  held  it 
closely  there. 

195 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  We  must  leave  the  villa  again  immediately,  Car- 
men," he  said,  pacing  up  and  down  the  patio  with 
her.  "  Tell  your  maid  to  pack  in  a  single  suit-case 
whatever  you're  likely  to  need  for  the  next  few  days 
—  and  leave  your  heavy  baggage  all  ready  to  be 
brought  away.  Those  precious  diamonds  of  yours 
will  have  to  stay  behind  meantime  also,  but  —  they're 
quite  safe.  I  have  seen  to  that  myself.  And  now 
go,  ninita.  The  horses  will  be  at  the  door  presently, 
and  I  have  a  great  deal  to  do  yet." 

Her  proud  eyes  clouded  over  a  little,  but  she 
turned  away,  dumbly  docile;  and  then  came  back  to 
where  he  stood  looking  fondly  after  her. 

"There  is  danger  here?"  she  asked  swiftly. 

1  Yes,  dear  one,"  he  replied. 

"Does  —  do  the  life-guards  go  with  us?"  she 
whispered,  and  he  smiled  again  as  he  answered: 
"  They  leave  the  villa  before  we  do,  and  —  their 
duty  lies  elsewhere.  Comfort  yourself,  however. 
They  will  be  idle  —  in  a  safe  camp." 

She  waited  to  hear  no  more,  but  went  off  blushing 
confusedly,  as  Colonel  Scarlett  came  striding  into  the 
courtyard  at  his  best  speed,  with  a  heartsome  jingle 
of  steel.  And  His  Excellency  gaily  returned  that 
grave-faced  soldier's  precise  salute. 

"  We  must  sound  Boot  and  Saddle  again,  my 
colonel,"  he  cried,  "  though  not,  thank  God !  for 
such  a  long  ride  as  our  last.  We  must  evacuate  the 

196 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

villa  at  once.  Our  friends  of  Portugal  out  there  are 
going  to  bombard  it.  You  know  how  matters 
stand." 

Scarlett  stood  at  attention,  listening.  It  did  not 
lie  within  his  sphere  of  obligation  to  offer  either 
comment  or  advice.  He  was  there  to  receive  what- 
ever orders  there  might  be  for  the  life-guards  of  his 
command. 

"  Delimiting  a  danger-zone  of  half  a  mile  on 
either  side  —  to  allow  for  wild  shooting  — "  the 
President  continued,  "  the  roadway  must  be  picketed 
in  both  directions  at  that  distance.  Send  Ulick  with 
a  troop  out  toward  Bella  Vista.  You  will  entrench 
yourself  with  the  remainder  at  a  commanding  point 
between  here  and  the  Port.  And  —  listen,  Scar- 
lett. You  are  both  to  hold  your  positions  against 
all  comers.  You  will  let  no  one  whatsoever  pass 
without  authority  signed  and  sealed  by  myself. 
The  villa  is  to  be  absolutely  isolated  till  further 
orders.  The  road  between  El  Puerto  and  the  cap- 
ital is  therewith  closed.  You  understand?" 

"  I  understand,"  said  Colonel  Sarlett.  "  I  am  to 
break  camp  at  once?  " 

"  Send  Ulick  off  as  soon  as  all  the  servants  are 
ready  —  they  go  into  camp  with  him  —  but  you 
yourself  will  ride  with  me  when  I  leave  for  the  Port. 
If  you  parade  in  twenty  minutes,  that  will  do." 

Scarlett  saluted  and  made  off  without  more  words, 
197 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

while  Casado  called  for  his  steward  and  made  that 
functionary  directly  responsible  for  the  immediate 
despatch  of  the  entire  staff  of  indoor  servants,  gar- 
deners, grooms,  and  the  live-stock  about  the  place. 
And  amid  all  the  bustle  and  confusion  which  such  a 
sweeping  clearance  could  not  but  create,  he  sat  un- 
disturbed at  a  telephone,  pulling  sundry  strings 
among  his  malcontent  officials  in  the  township  of 
El  Puerto.  Some  of  whom  did  not  hesitate  to 
express  their  extreme  disapproval  of  the  drastic  step 
he  was  taking  in  closing  the  only  road  between  the 
Port  and  Caragua,  the  capital.  But  to  none  of  them 
did  he  deign  any  explanation  of  his  policy. 

By  the  time  he  had  cut  off  the  last  of  them,  the 
Casa  Rosada  was  empty  except  for  himself  and  his 
daughter.  Its  recent  inmates  were  no  more  than  a 
cloud  of  dust  on  the  hot  high-road  that  leads  along 
the  shore-level  for  perhaps  half  a  mile  before  it  be- 
gins to  slope  toward  Bella  Vista.  Ulick  Scarlett  had 
been  informed  that  there  was  occasion  for  haste,  and 
had  shepherded  the  bewildered  servants  along  to 
excellent  purpose. 

Colonel  Scarlett  had  his  men  drawn  up  in  front 
of  the  door,  and  when  Casado,  assured  that  he 
had  left  no  living  creature  within  the  walls,  ap- 
peared with  the  Dona  Carmen,  locking  the  great 
iron  gates  securely  behind  him,  there  was  no  more 
to  be  done  than  to  mount  and  ride. 

198 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

At  a  convenient  point  on  the  road,  a  spot  where 
it  ran  through  a  short  defile  in  a  rough  rock-ridge 
which  stretched  from  the  precipitous  mountain-face 
to  a  sheer  cliff  overhanging  the  sea,  he  bade  Colonel 
Scarlett  pitch  camp,  enjoining  on  him  for  the  second 
time,  and  somewhat  unnecessarily,  a  strict  observ- 
ance of  his  instructions. 

"  You'll  hold  this  post  against  all  comers  —  from 
either  direction,"  he  said,  "  until  I  return  myself  or 
send  you  other  orders.  It's  unassailable  from 
above,  and  from  seaward  also.  It  should  be  quite 
impregnable,  Scarlett?" 

"  It  shall  be,"  returned  Colonel  Scarlett  quietly, 
and  the  President  rode  on  with  the  Dona  Carmen, 
quite  satisfied  that  he  had  secured  this  approach. 
With  Ulick  holding  the  other,  the  villa  was  safely 
segregated  till  it  should  suit  himself  to  revisit  it. 

There  were  but  few  people  abroad  in  the  shim- 
mering streets  of  El  Puerto  at  this  hot  hour,  and 
such  as  there  were  evinced  no  surprise  at  the  spec- 
tacle of  their  President,  accompanied  by  his  daugh- 
ter and  attended  only  by  a  corporal's  command  of 
his  life-guards,  spurring  past  at  a  pace  that  some- 
what distressed  his  escort,  not  so  well  mounted  as 
he  and  burdened  with  some  light  baggage.  Noth- 
ing that  His  Excellency  of  the  Iron  Hand  could  do 
would  have  surprised  his  subjects  more  than  a  little, 
and  the  good  citizens  of  the  Port  had  long  since 

199 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ceased  to  concern  themselves  as  to  his  erratic  com- 
ings and  goings. 

They  knew  that  his  present  appearance  was  due 
to  another  of  those  unfortunate  complications  with 
a  foreign  power,  which  had  once  more  brought 
strange  battle-ships  to  their  roadstead.  They  knew 
that  a  bombardment  was  threatened,  and  did  not 
doubt  that  he  would  in  some  manner  and  at  the  last 
moment,  as  usual,  manage  to  save  them.  They  went 
about  their  own  business  uninterestedly,  and  left  him 
to  attend  to  his. 

His  took  him  to  the  National  Telegraph  Office, 
beside  the  Banco  de  Nicazuela  in  the  Plaza  Liber- 
tad.  There,  in  the  manager's  private  room,  while 
the  obsequious  manager  entertained  the  Dona  Car- 
men without,  he  sat  for  five  minutes  over  a  desk  with 
a  pad  of  duplicate  forms  before  him,  and  then  wrote 
rapidly.  He  tore  up  the  original  message,  but  the 
carbon  copy  he  enclosed  in  an  envelope  which  he 
handed  to  the  manager  with  a  whispered  order,  as 
he  went  out. 

At  the  street-door  he  paused  for  a  moment  and 
then  turned  along  toward  the  bank,  where  he  was 
received  with  all  ceremony  by  Mr.  Cadwallader 
Waples,  who  had,  however,  some  difficulty  in  con- 
cealing his  very  natural  agitation  over  such  an  un- 
ceremonious visit  from  the  august  founder  of  the 

200 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

financial  establishment  in  which  he  himself  occupied 
a  post  so  responsible. 

But  his  countenance  cleared  when  he  saw  that  the 
Dona  Carmen  was  with  her  father.  It  did  not  seem, 
so  probable  then  that  the  President  would  strictly 
adhere  to  his  telegraphic  threat  to  have  him  shot  at 
sight.  And  his  pardonable  curiosity  in  that  respect 
was  finally  assuaged  by  the  bland  smile  with  which 
His  Excellency  acknowledged  his  honeyed  greeting. 

"  But  I  have  a  bone  to  pick  with  you,  Waples," 
said  that  personage  as  soon  as  the  three  were  seated 
within  the  banker's  luxurious  private  room  and  the 
Dona  Carmen,  who  did  not  care  much  for  Mr. 
Waples,  had  been  supplied  with  a  pile  of  the 
Graphic  and  Punch.  "  I  learn  that  you  have  been 
making  rash  statements,  and  to  foreigners,  concern- 
ing the  resources  of  this,  our  National  Bank!  That 
was  not  well  done,  my  friend.  You  must  be  less 
communicative.  It  pains  me  to  feel  that  you  do  not 
safeguard  the  confidence  I  repose  in  you." 

Mr.  Waples'  face  fell  again,  dismally.  He  sat 
very  still  in  his  managerial  chair,  oozing  a  profuse 
penitence,  but  he  made  no  defense  in  words,  since  it 
was  apparent  that  least  said  would  be  soonest 
mended.  And  presently  Casado  seemed  to  forget 
that  cause  of  complaint. 

"Have  you  any  petty  cash  in  the  safe?"  he  in- 
20 1 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

quired  casually,  and  Mr.  Cadwallader  Waples  rose, 
speechless  still.  He  unlocked  and  threw  open  the 
ponderous  steel  door  of  a  safe  built  into  the  wall 
behind  his  desk,  mutely  exposing  its  nakedness. 
From  its  middle  shelf  he  took  a  small  canvas  bag, 
its  sole  contents,  and  handed  that  to  the  Presi- 
dent. 

"  Unpaid  salaries,"  he  explained. 

His  Excellency  assured  himself  that  it  held  gold, 
and  slipped  it  into  one  of  his  pockets. 

"  Charge  it  to  my  private  account,"  he  ordered, 
and  the  bank-manager  bowed  submissively. 

No  more  was  said  on  that  subject,  but  they  talked 
indifferently  for  ten  minutes  more  about  the  rate  of 
exchange,  and  the  cacao  crop,  and  the  current  crisis. 

"  I  have  done  my  best  to  avert  any  rashly  pre- 
cipitate action  on  the  part  of  the  Portuguese  fleet," 
said  Casado,  his  tone  virtuously  austere,  and  rose 
from  his  seat  as  he  glanced  at  the  watch  he  wore  on 
his  wrist.  "  And  I'm  going  out  to  interview  the 
Portuguese  admiral  now.  Come,  Carmen." 

She  rose,  willingly,  and  Mr.  Waples  escorted 
them  to  the  street-door.  By  the  way  His  Excellency 
paused  to  address  the  sullenly  expectant  clerks. 

"  Fellow  Nicazuelans,"  he  said,  standing  squarely, 
before  the  mahogany  counter  at  which  they  had 
gathered,  "  my  heart  bleeds  for  you.  But  even 
while  my  heart  bleeds  my  brain  is  busy  on  your  be- 

202 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

half.  I  go  hence  to  sacrifice  my  life,  if  need  be,  on, 
the  altar  of  patriotism.  For  our  dear  country  I 
shall  die  gladly.  But,  if  I  live,  those  who  have 
supported  me  through  trial  and  affliction  will  not  be 
forgotten.  On  that  glad  day  when  I  shall  succeed 
in  wresting  peace  with  honor  from  Portugal  your 
salaries  shall  be  paid  in  full,  with  a  month's  hon- 
orarium added." 

The  applause  that  followed  this  oratorical  effort 
was  of  the  faintest.  It  served,  none  the  less,  to 
cover  Casado's  retreat,  and  Mr.  Waples,  still  bow- 
ing unctuously  from  the  steps  of  the  Bank,  watched 
him  disappear  with  the  Dona  Carmen  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Customs'  wharf. 

"  It's  a  demned  good  thing  I've  drawn  six  months' 
pay  in  advance,"  said  the  obese  banker  to  himself. 
"  I  don't  quite  undahstand  what  that  fellah's  little 
game  is,  but  —  seems  to  me  deuced  rash  of  him  to 
be  payin'  the  Portuguese  any  visits  at  present.  I'll 
drop  Enrique  Vidal  a  wire,  and  find  out  what's  what 
in  Caragua." 

But  his  telegram  was  returned  to  him,  an  Hour 
or  two  later,  with  the  information  that  the  line  be- 
tween El  Puerto  and  the  capital  had  been  cut.  And 
thereat  he  whistled  still  more  surprisedly. 

When  President  Casado  reached  the  harbor-mas- 
ter's office,  he  found  that  worthy  in  a  state  of  tremu- 
lous expectation. 

203 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  The  boat  is  at  the  steps,  Excellency,"  he  volun- 
teered, "  and  —  here  is  the  flag  you  desired." 

"Good!"  said  the  President  briefly.  "I  shall 
not  forget  that  you  have  been  helpful." 

"  Will  —  will  there  be  any  bombardment,  Excel- 
lency?" adventured  the  harbor-master,  and  his  Ex- 
cellency smiled  up  from  the  stern-sheets  of  the  small 
craft  which  had  been  awaiting  him  with  his  light 
baggage  already  on  board.  The  men  at  the  oars 
pressed  into  such  service  at  pistol  point,  by  the 
corporal  of  the  President's  recent  escort,  were  lis- 
tening, all  ears. 

"  There  may  be,"  he  answered,  loudly  enough  for 
them  to  hear.  "  But  not  of  the  Port.  If  I  cannot 
come  to  terms  with  the  admiral  of  the  fleet  outside, 
he  will  content  himself  with  shelling  my  residence. 
So  much  is  already  agreed.  I  am,  as  ever,  prepared 
to  sacrifice  myself  for  our  country !  " 

He  acknowledged,  always  with  the  same  virtuous 
austerity,  the  muttered  plaudits  that  his  heroic 
speech  evoked  from  his  conscript  crew,  and  bade 
them  give  way  with  a  will.  By  the  time  they  had 
reached  the  end  of  the  mole  and  emerged  from 
under  its  cover,  he  had  seized  to  the  flag-pole  be- 
hind him  the  small  Amerian  flag  which  the  harbor- 
master had  handed  him.  Under  its  shelter  he  felt 
secure  from  any  immediate  misusage  on  the  part  of 
the  Portuguese. 

204 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  had  instructed  the  Governor  of  the  Port,  by 
telephone  from  the  villa,  to  have  word  sent  out  to 
their  admiral  that  the  President  of  the  Republic 
would  presently  seek  a  personal  interview  with  him, 
to  the  end  that  the  manifold  differences  between  their 
respective  governments  might  still,  if  possible,  be  . 
peaceably  adjusted.  But  he  did  not  yet  know  what 
success  had  attended  that  belated  effort  to  stave  off 
for  a  little  longer  the  stringent  measures  which,  he 
had  been  warned,  would  be  adopted  at  noon.  He 
had  already  tried  the  Portuguese  admiral's  patience* 
sorely,  and  —  he  could  see,  from  the  white  feathers 
floating  at  the  funnel-tops,  that  the  little  fleet  had 
steam  up.  They  had  hove  short  on  their  cables  and 
cleared  for  action.  The  mid-day  gun  would  be 
fired  at  the  fort  within  a  few  minutes. 

A  short-boat  came  speeding  landward  from  the 
Olive  Branch,  its  rowers  straining  every  muscle  in 
hot  haste  to  gain  shelter  of  some  sort  before  the 
impending  bombardment  should  be  begun.  They 
paid  no  attention  whatever  to  the  President,  but  a 
telegraph-peon,  their  sole  passenger,  rose  unstead- 
ily and,  clutching  at  the  gunwale,  bowed,  bare- 
headed, to  that  all-powerful  personage.  Casado 
took  no  notice  of  him,  but  bade  his  own  apprehen- 
sive crew  put  more  strength  into  their  stroke.  Time 
was  almost  up,  and  they  had  still  some  distance  to 
cover. 

205 


Both  hands  of  the  watch  on  his  wrist  touched 
twelve,  and  he  looked  astern.  A  white  cloud  burst 
from  an  embrasure  in  the  black  wall  of  the  fort  at 
the  eastern  edge  of  the  town.  The  dull  percussion 
of  a  blank  charge  fired  from  an  old-fashioned  gun 
came  booming  down  the  wind.  He  turned  his  head, 
and  peered  expectantly,  with  wrinkled  eyes,  through 
the  blinding  sunshine,  at  the  three  men-of-war  now 
lying  broadside  on  to  the  Port. 

Their  flag-ship  suddenly  spat  smoke  and  a  shell 
shrieked  landward.  Above  the  bang!  that  followed 
rose  the  voices  of  his  rowers,  craven  voices  full  of 
fear.  His  daughter  sat  impassive  in  her  place,  al- 
though her  face  had  blanched. 

He  saw  where  the  shell  struck,  on  a  scarp  of  the 
mountain-face,  where  it  did  no  damage.  And  then 
his  boat  dashed  foaming  alongside  the  Olive  Branch, 
stopped  with  a  clumsy  crash  at  the  foot  of  her 
steep  accommodation-ladder,  on  the  side  sheltered 
from  the  Portuguese  fleet. 

He  listened  curiously  to  hear  whether  the  fort 
would  reply  to  the  flag-ship's  attempt  at  intimida- 
tion. He  had  instructed  the  commandment  to  with- 
hold his  fire,  but  —  the  commandment  and  his  un- 
paid troops  were  in  a  state  of  rank  insubordination, 
ready  to  take  the  law  into  their  own  hands.  No 
further  shot  was  fired  meantime,  however,  and,  as 
he  reached  the  gangway,  his  moustache  curled  in  a 

206 


,THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

quick  smile.  He  understood  that  the  admiral  had 
merely  meant  to  intimate  the  establishment  of  the 
strict  blockade  so  often  threatened;  he  was  now  pre- 
pared to  postpone  further  active  measures  pending 
the  result  of  the  conference  still  to  take  place.  He 
had  again,  and  at  the  very  last  moment,  gained  what 
he  wanted  most  —  which  was  time  —  just  time 
enough  to  complete  that  masterly  move  he  had 
mapped  out  while  he  had  stood  watching  the  water 
drain  away  from  the  vault  at  the  villa. 

A  stout,  bull-necked  young  man  with  a  stupidly 
honest  face  met  him  at  the  gangway,  and  shook, 
with  an  unconscious  strength  which  made  his  Excel- 
leny  wince,  the  hand  held  out  to  him.  But  that 
long-suffering  diplomat  still  smiled.  His  eyes  had 
lighted  on  an  orange  envelope  in  the  young  man's 
free  fist. 

"  I  am  President  Casado,"  he  explained  patron- 
izingly. "  Mr. —  er  —  Mr. — " 

"  Yoxall  —  chief  mate,"  supplemented  that  indi- 
vidual as  his  visitor  paused. 

" —  Mr.  Yoxall,  and  this  is  my  daughter,  the 
Dona  Carmen."  The  Dona  Carmen  also  smiled, 
very  pleasantly,  as  she  bowed.  She  had  been  glanc- 
ing curiously  about  her  and  had  just  caught  sight  of 
another  girl,  a  young  girl  and  pretty  as  any  picture, 
with  strangely  wistful,  appealing  eyes,  who  had  been 
regarding  her  uncertainly  from  a  little  distance. 

207 


She  bowed  to  the  stout  ship's-officer,  and,  leaving 
her  father  to  talk  to  him,  went  forward  with  a  very 
pleasant  smile,  and  a  word  or  two  in  the  quaint,  shy 
English  she  had  been  learning  from  Ulick  Scarlett. 
She  greatly  desired  to  make  friends  with  an  English 
girl. 

"  You  have  no  doubt  been  expecting  us?  "  Casado 
remarked  to  the  mate.  "  You  have  of  course  heard 
from  Captain  Dove?  —  that  I  have  chartered  the 
Olive  Branch  —  that  you  are  to  place  her  entirely 
at  my  disposal." 

Reuben  Yoxall's  sun-burned  visage  assumed  a 
most  puzzled  frown.  He  looked  again  at  the  tele- 
gram he  had  just  received,  at  the  President,  at  the 
two  girls  standing  together  in  the  shade  of  a  canvas 
wind-sail  on  the  other  side  of  the  deck.  He  cleared 
his  throat,  and,  "  Where  is  Captain  Dove?  "  he  de- 
manded abruptly. 


208 


CHAPTER  XV 

PRESIDENT  CASADO'S   PLAN  OE  CAMPAIGN 

"T  IT  T  HERE    w    Captain    Dove?"    Reuben 

V/^/       Yoxall  demanded,  and  so  abruptly  as 

almost  to  confuse  his  masterful  visitor. 

But  Casado  raised  his  eyebrows  in  time  to  keep  the 

tell-tale  lids  from  flickering. 

"  Captain  Dove  is  on  his  way  to  Caragua,"  he 
answered  without  hesitation.  "  But  —  I  thought 
he  would  have  explained  everything  to  you  in  his 
wire.  He  promised  me  he  would  do  so." 

The  mate  of  the  Olive  Branch  once  more 
smoothed  out  the  crumpled  telegram-form  he  had  in 
his  hand,  and  reread  its  contents  carefully  to  him- 
self. 

"  Am  going  up-country  with  Slyne  and  Gilder- 
sleeve,  to  collect  money  at  capital.  All  previous 
orders  canceled.  Have  chartered  ship  to  Casado, 
President  of  Nicazuela.  Place  her  entirely  at  his 
disposal  and  carry  out  his  instructions  till  I  return. 

11  DOVE." 

Casado,  knowing  no  more  than  he  did,  had  not 
209 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

dared  to  be  more  precise  in  the  bogus  message  he 
had  fabricated  at  the  telegraph-office.  He  was 
trusting  now  to  his  own  quick  wits  for  a  plausible 
answer  to  any  other  awkward  question  that  might 
be  asked.  And  it  did  not  seem  to  him  that  the 
stout-necked  young  man  before  him  was  overbur- 
dened with  brains. 

Reuben  Yoxall  was,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  in  a  state 
of  the  direst  perplexity.  He  did  not  for  a  moment 
doubt  the  authenticity  of  the  despatch  he  had  just 
received,  nor  had  he  any  intention  but  to  obey  it. 
The  complex  problem  before  him  now  was  how  he 
could  best  do  so.  And  Reuben  Yoxall  hailed  from 
Cumberland  in  England,  where  they  breed  some  sea- 
faring men,  of  a  canny,  slow-thinking,  sure-going 
sort. 

In  the  first  place  he  would  have  to  deal  with  not 
only  the  turbulent  rascals  of  Captain  Dove's  own 
crew,  but  also  the  insolent,  ill-disciplined  ruffians 
whom  Eustace  Gildersleeve  had  recruited  by  specious 
promises  of  plunder  and  license  to  work  their  will 
once  they  should  reach  land;  and  for  sole  curb  on 
the  latter  he  had  the  ex-captain  of  the  Calixte,  a 
sodden  scoundrel,  who,  with  his  equally  worthless 
subordinates,  had  already  made  all  the  trouble  he 
could  for  the  regular  ship's-officers.  They  were 
within  sight  of  land  now,  waiting  eagerly  till  one 
o'clock  should  be  sounded  to  get  ashore, 

210 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

When  all  these  should  have  been  drilled  into  line, 
a  task  to  which  Reuben  Yoxall,  a  very  capable 
driver,  would  willingly  have  applied  himself  with 
the  help  of  his  own  underlings,  there  was  still  the 
Portuguese  fleet  to  be  reckoned  with.  Its  admiral 
had  sent  on  board  the  Olive  Branch  again,  shortly 
before  eight  bells,  to  intimate  that,  since  her  master 
had  thought  fit  to  ignore  the  friendly  warning  af- 
forded him  on  the  previous  night,  he  must  now  con- 
sider himself  included  in  the  blockade,  and  stay 
where  he  was.  Should  he  so  much  as  attempt  to 
heave  short  on  his  anchor,  the  fleet  would  combine 
to  make  a  sieve  of  his  ship.  It  seemed  that  the 
Portuguese  admiral's  temper  was  badly  roused,  that 
he  was  no  longer  inclined  to  count  consequences. 

Such  being  the  case,  how  was  Reuben  Yoxall  to 
place  the  Olive  Branch  entirely  at  the  charterer's 
disposal  and  carry  out  his  instructions,  as  directed  by 
Captain  Dove! 

"When  will  Captain  Dove  be  back?"  he  asked 
vexedly,  and  the  President  made  a  quick  mental  cal- 
culation. 

"  I  should  think  that  by  riding  hard  he'd  reach 
Caragua  late  to-night,"  he  returned.  "  A  day  there, 
a  night's  rest  —  and  back  again  to  Altamirano. 
Better  not  count  on  seeing  him  before  Saturday,  Mr. 
Yoxall." 

11  Saturday!  "  the  mate  echoed,  dismayed.     "  And 

211 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

what  d'you  want  me  to  do  for  you  in  the  meantime, 
sir?" 

Casado  had  hard  work  to  disguise  the  satisfaction 
this  simple  question  afforded  him,  since  it  showed 
that  his  good  faith  was  taken  for  granted. 

"  Come  into  the  chart-room,  out  of  the  sun,  and 
sit  down,"  Reuben  Yoxall  suggested,  and,  as  the 
President  looked  round  for  his  daughter:  "the  two 
young  ladies  have  gone  below  together,"  he  added 
indifferently,  leading  the  way. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Yoxall,"  the  President  continued  in 
his  most  impressive  manner,  as  soon  as  they  were 
seated,  "  I'm  going  to  take  you  into  my  confidence. 
I'm  going  to  tell  you  exactly  my  plan  of  campaign. 
Let  me  mention,  in  passing,  that  those  in  whom  I 
confide,  and  who  trust  me,  always  find  that  the  mu- 
tual compact  pays  them  most  handsomely.  Let  me 
entrust  you  with  this  small  earnest  of  my  intentions 
toward  you." 

Reuben  Yoxall,  looking  still  more  puzzled,  took 
from  him,  though  by  no  means  willingly,  the  canvas 
bag  which  the  President  had  obtained  from  Cad- 
wallader  Waples. 

"  If  it's  money,"  he  said,  "  I'll  send  it  forward, 
in  your  name.  It  will  help  to  quieten  the  crew 
down.  They're  a  mutinous  lot  of  dogs,  and  will 
be  very  ill-pleased  at  hearing  that  they're  not  to  get 
ashore  in  the  meantime." 

212 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Do  so,  my  good  sir,"  Casado  begged  earnestly. 
"  And  if  you  should  need  more  to  keep  them  in 
leash  for  a  little,  you'll  let  me  know. 

"  The  situation  ashore  is  so  very  involved  at  pres- 
ent," he  went  on  quickly,  "  that  to  let  them  land 
would  be  like  setting  a  match  to  a  powder-maga- 
zine." 

"  The  situation  afloat's  no  better,"  said  Yoxall 
bluntly,  determined  to  unbosom  himself  of  his  diffi- 
culties. But  the  President  forestalled  him. 

'  You  mean  because  of  those  Portuguese  ani- 
mals," he  agreed.  "  But  leave  them  to  me,  Mr. 
Yoxall.  As  soon  as  I  have  explained  to  you  what 
I  wish  done,  I  shall  settle  matters  with  them  so  that 
you  will  have  no  further  trouble  in  that  connection. 
There  will  be  an  armistice,  Mr.  Yoxall,  between  Nica- 
zuela  and  Portugal.  And,  during  that  armistice,  the 
Olive  Branch  will  take  her  lading  on  board. 

"  It  lies  at  my  villa  on  shore  —  a  matter  of  a  few 
boatloads.  I  shall  bring  it  on  board  myself,  if  you 
will  let  me  have  a  boat's  crew  of  your  steadiest  and 
most  daring  men.  They  will  be  well  paid  for  the 
work." 

"  Once  it  is  safely  on  board,  we  stand  out  to  sea. 
If  necessary,  we  must  run  the  blockade, —  and  that 
should  be  easy  enough  on  a  craft  like  the  old  Re- 
conquista,  eh,  Mr.  Yoxall !  Captain  Dove  told  me 
she  steams  a  steady  fifteen  knots.  We  must  show 

213 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

those  Portuguese  animals  our  heels  outside,  and  then 
give  them  the  slip  altogether,  for  we  shall  have  to 
send  a  landing-party  ashore  at  Altamirano,  a  village 
a  few  miles  from  here,  to  the  westward,  where  Cap- 
tain Dove  and  his  friends  have  agreed  to  meet  us 
with  the  balance  of  the  cargo,  which  they  are  to 
bring  down  from  Caragua  on  mule-back.  By  Sat- 
urday they  should  be  there.  But  we'll  no  doubt  hear 
from  them  again  before  then.  Where  was  your 
wire  handed  in  —  and  at  what  time?  " 

"  Bella  Vista,  at  eleven-twenty,"  the  mate  re- 
sponded, scratching  his  head  to  expedite  its  digestion 
of  the  President's  glibly  outlined  plan. 

"  That's  just  where  they  would  be,  by  traveling 
fast,"  Casado  remarked  thoughtfully.  He  was  re- 
flecting that  it  would  be  easy  enough,  when  the  time 
came,  to  account  for  their  disappearance.  Not 
many  days  passed,  at  the  best  of  times,  without  a 
murder  among  the  mountains,  and,  in  the  present 
chaotic  state  of  the  country,  the  fact  that  these  sup- 
posed travelers  were  thought  to  be  bringing  money 
with  them  from  the  capital  would  supply  a  suffi- 
ciently obvious  motive  for  such  a  mishap  in  their 
case.  Whereupon  the  Olive  Branch  would  proceed 
on  the  trip  for  which  it  was  understood  he  had  char- 
tered her,  a  trip  to  some  safe  port  in  Europe  yet  to 
be  fixed  on.  A  savagely  simple  scheme,  and  all  the 
more  likely  therefore  to  prove  successful  —  if  only 

214 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

an  armistice,  even  till  noon  to-morrow,  could  be  ar- 
ranged. 

"  And,  now  I've  made  everything  clear  to  you, 
Mr.  Yoxall,"  he  said  genially,  "  I  must  ask  you  to 
send  a  messenger  to  the  Portuguese  flag-ship,  with 
a  few  lines  from  me  for  the  admiral." 

As  he  pulled  out  a  pocket-book  and  began  to 
write,  honest  Reuben  Yoxall  went  off  to  order  a 
boat  away,  well  enough  satisfied  after  all,  since  the 
charterer  seemed  to  know  not  only  what  was  to  be 
done,  but  also,  and  luckily  for  himself,  how  to  do  it. 
He  was  less  pleased,  however,  to  see,  as  he  stepped 
out  into  the  open  air,  that  one  of  the  three  Portu- 
guese war-vessels  had  shifted  her  berth  and  dropped 
anchor  inshore  of  the  Olive  Branch,  between  his  ship 
and  the  town. 

He  went  down  into  the  foredeck  alone  to  inform 
the  composite  crew  there  that,  for  reasons  sufficient  to 
him,  no  landing  would  now  take  place:  a  very  dan- 
gerous errand  and  one  that  might  have  resulted. dis- 
astrously to  one  less  steeled  to  such  danger.  But 
they  accepted  his  dictum,  at  any  rate  for  the  moment, 
with  no  more  than  a  low  and  ominous  growling  among 
themselves.  No  voice  was  raised  against  him,  and 
he  left  them  Casado's  bag  of  sweated  doubloons  to 
salve  their  sore  feeling  a  little. 

His  boat  came  back  from  the  flag-ship  with  word 
that  the  admiral  would  presently  follow,  and,  when 

215 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

that  dignitary  arrived,  Reuben  Yoxall  received  him 
and  his  aide  at  the  gangway,  and  led  them  to  the 
shady  side  of  the  charthouse,  where  the  President  was 
awaiting  them.  Casado  had  not  thought  it  politic 
to  display  any  excess  of  courtesy  in  advance. 

The  two  antagonists  saluted  each  other  with  all 
due  ceremony,  and  the  mate  went  up  on  to  the  bridge 
to  get  his  binoculars.  He  had  just  espied  a  small 
gray  speck  on  the  sea-rim.  The  deck-watch  were 
stationed  below  in  the  well,  invisible.  A  solitary 
look-out  was  pacing  the  forecastle-head.  It  was  a 
standing  rule  on  the  Olive  Branch  that  all  hands 
except  those  on  duty  must  spend  their  time  in  port 
under  hatches. 

The  conversation  on  the  quarter-deck  was  there- 
fore almost  informal,  and  the  President  soon  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  a  surface  cordiality  with  the 
representative  of  Portugal.  He  himself  was  an 
adept  in  what  may  be  best  described  as  skating  on 
the  merest  semblance  of  ice,  and  presently  had  the 
blunt-witted  sailor  sorely  bewildered  among  the 
twists  and  turns  which  he  executed  with  so  much 
assurance.  But  then  it  seemed  that  the  ice  was  about 
to  give  way,  that  the  reckless  skater  must  be  sub- 
merged. For  the  Portuguese  admiral  absolutely  re- 
fused to  depart  by  so  much  as  a  hairsbreadth  from 
the  remaining  terms  of  his  ultimatum. 

216 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  had  refrained  for  the  moment  from  shelling 
the  Port,  he  said,  as  a  personal  favor  to  the  Presi- 
dent himself,  and  on  the  distinct  understanding  that 
some  satisfactory  compromise  would  be  forthcoming 
at  once.  If,  as  it  seemed  was  the  case,  the  Presi- 
dent had  no  such  proposal  to  make,  there  was,  how- 
ever unfortunately,  nothing  for  it  but  to  carry  out 
in  its  entirety  the  programme  he  had,  under  a  mis- 
apprehension, postponed. 

President  Casado  twisted  and  turned  in  vain. 
With  all  his  facility  he  could  not  twist  or  turn  the 
admiral  from  his  adamant  purpose.  The  claims  of 
Portugal,  claims  admittedly  just  under  international 
law,  must  be  met  forthwith  and  in  full,  or  — 

President  Casado  was  once  more  at  his  wits'  end. 
His  whole  plan  of  campaign  hinged  on  arranging 
an  armistice,  during  which  he  might  remove  his 
wealth,  under  cover  of  night,  from  the  villa  to  the 
Olive  Branch.  He  curbed  his  ever-growing  resent- 
ment against  the  obdurate  admiral,  all  unwittingly 
arbiter  of  his  future,  and  with  tireless  pertinacity, 
tried  him  on  another  tack. 

1  You  are  rash,  senor  almirante"  he  said,  "  to 
precipitate  hostilities  as  you  seem  determined  to  do. 
I  speak  frankly,  in  the  mutual  interests  of  our  re- 
spective countries,  on  neutral  ground,  under  the  flag 
of  a  paramount  power."  He  indicated  with  out- 

217 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

stretched  hand  the  Stars  and  Stripes  afloat  in  the 
breeze  at  the  lofty  pole  on  the  poop  of  the  Olive 
Branch. 

"  I  have  offered  you  my  assurance  that  your  claims 
against  me  may  be  adjusted  by  arbitration,  but  that 
offer  you  have  flouted.  You  have  also  scorned  my 
promise  of  a  payment  to  account  of  one  of  these 
claims,  within  a  week  or  ten  days.  You  have  refused 
to  allow  me  the  time  necessary  for  the  peaceful  settle- 
ment of  our  dispute.  I  am  at  the  end  of  resources 
adequate  to  meet  your  oppressive  demands. 

"  I  shall  therefore  remain  here,  on  neutral  ground, 
under  the  flag  of  a  power  paramount,  and  —  you 
will  no  doubt  act  as  you  see  fit.  I  shall,  of  course, 
send  to  Washington  a  full  report  as  to  your  present 
and  future  policy." 

The  Portuguese  admiral  was  undoubtedly  stag- 
gered by  this  new  move.  Casado  had  laid  down 
now,  and,  according  to  the  rules  of  the  international 
ring,  he  could  not  very  well  kick  Casado,  dearly  as 
he  would  have  liked  to  do  so.  He  would  have  been 
glad  to  step  apart  and  consult  with  his  aide,  but  that 
would  not  have  been  dignified.  His  saffron  features 
curled  in  a  sudden,  ferocious  scowl,  and  he  snapped 
his  fingers  full  in  Casado's  face. 

"  That  for  the  doctrine  that  helps  rogues  like  you 
to  ruin  your  fellow-countrymen !  "  he  cried  explo- 
sively, his  native  politeness  entirely  vanquished  by 

218 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

the  invincible  audacity  of  his  opponent.  "  I  tell  you 
for  the  last  time,  sir,  that  you  will  either  comply  with 
my  equitable  claims,  or — "  He  paused,  on  an  in- 
spiration. 

"  I'll  hold  you  as  hostage  for  their  settlement," 
he  said.  "  You  will  remain  on  board  this  steamer 

—  the  Olive  Branch  —  for  four-and-twenty  hours. 
During    that    time    you    may    only    communicate 
with    the    shore    by    means    of    a    despatch-boat 
which  I  shall  send  you.     And  if,  at  the  expiration 
of  that  renewed  period  of  grace  you  are  still  intract- 
able —  I'll  rid  South  America  of  one  of  its  pests ! 
I'll  sink  the  Olive  Branch  at  her  moorings,  with  you 
on  board  and  alone. 

"  You'll  send  me  word  if  you  come  to  your  senses 
in  the  interim,  and  —  I  bid  your  Excellency  adieu." 

Wherewith  the  excitable  sailor  stamped  away,  in 
a  paroxysm  of  passion  over  the  President's  shuffling. 
And  the  President  looked  after  him,  very  evilly. 

"  But  hard  words  break  no  bones,"  Casado  said  to 
himself  thankfully,  watching  him  on  the  way  back 
to  the  flag-ship  of  his  ineffectual  fleet.  "  I've  got 
what  I  want,  and  —  within  four-and-twenty  hours 
I'll  be  far  enough  from  here.  If  we  should  only 
be  lucky  enough  to  meet  that  Portuguese  pig  at  sea 

—  the  Olive  Branch  carries  four  quick-firing  guns 
to  a  broadside,  and —     Ah,  Carmen  1     You  star- 
tled me." 


The  Doiia  Carmen  smiled  up  at  him,  a  somewhat 
tremulous  smile,  and  the  evil  light  in  his  eyes  died 
out  as  he  made  shift  to  smile  back  at  her.  He  was 
never  so  preoccupied  that  he  could  not  spare  her  a 
moment.  And  to  him,  while  in  the  midst  of  all 
these  grave  issues  he  listened  patiently,  she  poured 
forth,  in  swift,  broken  sentences,  that  strange  and 
pitiful  story  which  she  had  succeeded  in  charming 
from  the  young  American  girl  she  had  discovered  on 
board. 

He  listened  patiently,  although  to  tell  the  truth, 
he  was  not  in  any  temper  just  then  to  be  entertained 
with  the  woes  of  errant  American  girls.  And  Eileen 
Saxilby,  in  the  background,  observing  his  obvious 
abstraction,  almost  repented  herself  of  having 
granted  her  new-found  friend  permission  for  its  re- 
telling. But,  when  his  impetuous  daughter  men- 
tioned Eustace  Gildersleeve's  name,  Casado  became 
all  attention. 

He  heard  her  out  in  grave  silence,  with  growing 
interest.  He  was  only  sorry  that  he  had  not  sooner 
known  of  these  very  serious  criminal  charges  against 
his  chief  creditor.  He  was  wondering  whether  they 
might  not  be  of  use  to  him  even  yet,  when  his  chief 
creditor  was  — .  He  thought  of  the  vault  at  the 
villa  again,  and  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  She  need  fear  nothing  more  from  Eustace  Gil- 
dersleeve  now,"  he  assured  his  daughter,  in  answer 

220 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

to  her  urgent  prayer  that  he  would  afford  the  luck- 
less Eileen  his  all-powerful  protection  against  her 
oppressors.  "  Tell  her,  querida,  that  she  may  count 
me  as  well  as  yourself  her  friend.  I'll  think  it  all 
over,  and  see  what's  best  to  be  done.  Then  we'll 
do  it,  you  and  I,  for  this  new  friend  of  yours.  Will 
that  satisfy  you,  eh?  " 

He  pinched  her  ear  playfully,  and,  turning  away 
as  she  went  back  with  a  beaming  smile  to  impart 
to  the  anxious  captive  the  promise  made  her,  climbed 
hastily  to  the  bridge  to  get  a  better  view  of  a  vessel 
that  had  just  come  into  sight  from  behind  the 
furthermost  of  the  Portuguese  fleet.  At  the  same 
moment  a  number  of  men  emerged  from  a  hatch  in 
the  well-deck  beneath.  One  of  whom,  suddenly  de- 
scrying him,  shrank  back  and  so  disappeared;  but 
not  before  the  President  recognized  him. 

"  Jose  Maria  Moreno !  "  Casado  said  to  himself 
in  a  hissing  whisper,  his  lips  drawn  back  from  his 
set  teeth.  "  He'll  soon  have  still  more  reason  to  be 
sorry  he  ever  shipped  on  the  Olive  Branch!  " 

Reuben  Yoxall  rejoined  him  while  he  was  inspect- 
ing the  incoming  steamer  contentedly  and  at  his  lei- 
sure. She  had  hove  to,  at  the  Portuguese  flag-ship's 
order,  and  he  could  see  the  admiral's  boat  on  its  way 
to  board  her. 

"  What  ship's  that?"  the  mate  asked  abruptly, 
and  glared  at  the  men  in  the  well-deck.  "  Give  me 

221 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

the  glasses  a  minute,  sir,  before  I  go  down  and  drive 
those  swine  back  into  their  quarters." 

He  was  still  staring  with  furrowed  brows  at  the 
stranger  when  a  sharp,  fear-stricken  cry  came  up 
from  below,  and  the  sullen  group  in  the  well-deck 
turned  to  look  seaward.  One  of  their  number  was 
pointing  toward  her,  with  outstretched  hand.  They 
crossed  to  the  bulwark,  and  stood  there,  craning 
their  necks,  for  a  moment.  Then  they  swung  about, 
and  disappeared  through  the  hatch  again,  as  if  the 
devil  himself  had  been  at  their  heels,  without  other 
driving:  all  save  one,  who  remained  where  he  was, 
and  whined  and  clawed  at  the  air  with  crooked 
fingers. 

"  I'll  soon  sort  you !  "  the  mate  muttered  wrath- 
fully,  and,  sliding  down  the  stair-rails,  sprang  at 
the  ex-captain  of  the  Calixte,  gripped  him  by  the 
scruff  of  the  neck,  and  kicked  him,  still  whimpering 
miserably,  into  the  hatchway  after  his  fellows. 

As  he  himself  regained  the  quarterdeck,  scowling, 
scarlet  of  face,  Eileen  Saxilby  ran  toward  him,  with 
wide,  eager  eyes,  and,  "  Oh,  Mr.  Yoxall !  "  she  cried 
in  an  awe-stricken  voice,  "  that  —  that's  the  Ca- 
lixte/ " 


222 


CHAFER  XVI 

THE   BONA  ROBA 

NO  sooner  had  the  Portuguese  admiral,  still 
in   a   state   of   sputtering   indignation,    re- 
gained the  poop  of  his  flag-ship  than  the 
officer  of  the  watch  politely  drew  his  attention  to 
the  strange  steamer  approaching  the  fleet  from  sea- 
ward.    And  the  admiral  no  less  politely  requested 
to  be  informed  whether  the  officer  of  the  watch  be- 
lieved him  to  be  stone-blind. 

"  Signal  her  to  heave  to,"  said  the  admiral,  sim- 
mering over,  "  and  have  my  gig  piped  away  again, 
if  you  please.  I,  myself,  since  my  subordinates  are 
of  a  brainlessness  so  crapulent  and  revolting,  shall 
interview  the  commander  of  the  vessel  —  which  I 
have  been  observing  for  some  time  past. 

"  And,  meanwhile,  take  a  quick  but  correct  note 
of  these  further  orders:  A  boat  is  to  be  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  President  Casado,  at  present  a  prisoner 
in  my  hands,  on  the  Olive  Branch,  but  solely  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  despatches.  Word  is  to  be  sent 
to  the  captain  of  the  Sao  Joao  that  he  is  to  picket 
the  Olive  Branch  day  and  night,  allow  no  other  boat 

223 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

to  leave  or  approach  her,  and  that,  should  she  show 
the  least  disposition  to  slip  her  moorings,  he  is  to 
draw  yard-arm  to  yard-arm  and  disable  her  with  a 
broadside.  A  communication  in  English  is  to  be  de- 
livered by  the  despatch-boat  to  the  master  of  the 
Olive  Branch,  advising  him  of  these  measures.  A 
landing-party  is  to  proceed  in  the  steam-pinnace  to 
where  the  telegraph-cable  runs  ashore  —  there  is  a 
white  beacon  above  the  beach  at  the  spot.  They 
are  to  cut  the  cable,  draw  it  seaward  for  some  dis- 
tance, and  sink  it  safely. 

"That  is  all,  I  thank  you,  and  —  why,  then,  do 
you  procrastinate  here?  I  await  my  gig." 

The  officer  of  the  watch  put  up  his  note-book  and 
hurried  away,  with  a  flushed  scowl,  to  carry  out  these 
instructions  and  warn  his  fellow-sufferers  from  that 
source  of  the  cyclonic  conditions  prevailing  aft.  All 
on  board,  indeed,  were  delighted  to  see  the  admiral's 
back  when  he  presently  set  out  again  on  his  self-im- 
posed errand,  and  no  one  in  any  way  envied  the  crew 
of  his  gig. 

The  steamer  approaching  had  hove  to,  in  response 
to  his  signal.  From  her  shapely  lines  he  would  have 
supposed  her  a  pleasure  yacht,  but  the  plight  she  was 
in  precluded  that  supposition.  He  gazed  open- 
mouthed  at  her  as  he  ran  alongside,  and,  having 
puffed  very  pompously  up  the  ladder  let  down  for 
his  benefit,  stopped  at  the  gangway  to  touch  his  hat 

224 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

in  salute,  looked  about  him  still  more  surprisedly. 

He  had  observed  from  below  that,  although  her 
davits  were  all  swung  inboard,  the  boat-chocks  were 
black  and  empty.  Where  he  now  stood  he  could  see 
for  himself  how  that  had  come  about.  From  abaft 
the  bridge  to  the  break  of  the  poop,  charred  timbers 
and  blistered  paintwork,  all  washed  to  the  bone  by 
the  seas  which  had  since  swept  over  them,  spoke 
mutely  of  mishandling  as  well  as  mishap :  no  merely 
accidental  fire  should  have  done  so  much  damage 
on  a  modern  ship.  Of  the  after-deckhouse  nothing 
was  left  but  a  ragged,  incomplete  skeleton,  twisted 
steel  ribs  and  stringers  and  beams,  too  tough  to  be 
swept  overside.  Here  and  there  the  deck-plates 
showed,  red  with  dust,  through  great  gaps  burned 
in  their  planking.  Her  whole  appearance  was  deso- 
late and  disheveled  to  a  degree. 

But  what  still  puzzled  him  was  that  there  seemed 
to  be  no  one  in  charge  of  her.  On  the  bridge  he  had 
only  observed  a  girl,  a  girl  in  a  ravishing  costume 
of  white  and  lapis-lazuli,  a  broad-brimmed  hat  most 
becoming  to  her:  whom  he,  gaping  up  at  her  from 
his  gig,  had  very  greatly  desired  to  see  at  a  shorter 
range.  And  she  was  coming  aft  now,  toward  the 
gangway,  alone.  She  had  just  returned  his  formal 
salute  in  orthodox  quarterdeck  style.  He  bowed 
before  her,  enchanted,  a  hand  on  his  heart,  his  small- 
sword sticking  out  behind  like  a  tail. 

225 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

She  stopped,  standing  straight  before  him,  her 
head  well  back,  her  hands  at  her  sides,  a  slender  and 
gallant  figure  with  an  intangible  something  about 
her  which  he  could  not  quite  explain  to  himself, 
which  indeed  perplexed  him  extremely.  His  first 
impression  of  her  at  such  close  quarters  was  curi- 
ously confused.  He  was  chiefly  aware  of  her  eyes, 
eyes  with  strange,  lambent  lights  in  them,  like  twin 
rainbows,  before  which  his  own  soon  fell  furtively, 
afraid  that  she  might  see  more  than  she  should,  so 
penetrating  was  her  calm,  unconcerned  scrutiny. 

The  cut  of  her  costly  yachting-suit  spoke  plainly 
of  Paris,  even  to  him.  One  dainty  ankle,  above  a 
rubber-soled  shoe  a  little  advanced,  showed  silk  in 
the  sun.  It  disappeared  and  he  looked  up  again, 
blinking. 

"I  —  I  beg  to  see  the  captain,  senhorlta"  he 
stammered,  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Portuguese 
intelligible  enough.  "  What  ship  is  this?  " 

"  This  is  an  American  ship  —  as  you  can  see  from 
her  flag,"  she  answered  coolly  in  his  own  tongue, 
made  very  musical  by  her  clear,  confident  voice. 
"  I'm  acting  captain.  What  is  your  business  with 
me?" 

The  Portuguese  admiral  was  absolutely  stunned 
by  the  mental  shock  such  a  statement  could  not  but 
cause  him.  And  his  face  mirrored  his  mind.  He 
peered  at  her  stupidly,  still  blinking  in  the  hot  light, 

226 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

like  one  purblind.  She  was  not  in  the  least  like  any 
other  girl  he  had  ever  seen,  but  he  could  by  no 
means  bring  himself  to  believe  that  even  a  Nereid 
in  petticoats  might  captain  a  steamship  on  the  high 
seas.  The  mere  idea  was  preposterous. 

And  yet  there  was  something  in  her  fearless,  level 
regard  that  almost  compelled  belief.  And  she  her- 
self was  apparently  well  assured  of  her  status:  for 
while  he  was  still  staring  blankly  at  her,  her  perfect 
features  had  slowly  assumed  a  faint,  interrogative 
frown.  He  suddenly  bethought  himself  that  he 
owed  her  —  since  he  must,  of  course,  concede  her 
the  rank  she  claimed  —  a  prompt  account  of  himself 
and  his  errand  there. 

"  Your  pardon,  senhorita  capitdo"  said  he,  with 
an  elaborate  courtesy  meant  to  mask  his  evident  scep- 
ticism. "  I  come  to  inform  you  that  this  port  is 
closed  to  trade.  I,  admiral  of  the  fleet  before  you, 
have  been  reluctantly  forced,  by  international  diffi- 
culties, to  institute  a  blockade  of  the  most  rigorous. 
To-morrow  I  shall  probably  have  to  shell  the  town. 
Meantime  I  cannot  permit  any  craft  to  enter  or 
leave  that  part  of  the  roadstead  circumscribed  by  my 
ships." 

He  felt  better  pleased  with  himself  after  he  had 
delivered  himself  of  this  ultimatum.  He  noticed 
that  her  questioning  eyes  had  grown  anxious,  and 
this  gratified  him,  as  illustrating  his  own  importance, 

227 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

somewhat  compromised.  She  turned,  to  look  across 
at  his  three  cruisers,  and  at  the  shimmering  white 
town  on  the  sea-shore. 

"But  —  there's  a  steamer  at  anchor  in  the  inner 
roadstead  now,"  she  objected,  as  if  in  doubt.  "  The 
Olive  Branch,  isn't  it?" 

"  The  Olive  Branch,  yes.  Her,  too,  I  warned 
—  but  she  heeded  not.  Now,  she  must  stay  where 
she  is." 

"  She  won't  wait  to  ask  anybody's  leave  when  she 
wants  to  put  to  sea,"  the  girl  asserted  unguardedly, 
and  an  instant,  sinister  suspicion  sprang  up  in  his 
mind.  Could  it  possibly  be  that  these  two  Ameri- 
can ships  were  in  league  with  each  other  —  and  with 
Casado  —  and  against  him?  Putting  two  and  two 
together,  in  urgent  alarm,  he  made  a  mental  figure 
of  five,  and  surmise,  condensed,  became  certainty. 
For  the  girl  had  apparently  realized  from  his  ex- 
pression the  slip  she  had  made,  and,  under  his  search- 
ing glance,  displayed  a  momentary  confusion  which 
seemed  to  him  evidence  sufficient  of  her  complicity 
in  some  far-reaching  plot  to  frustrate  him  in  his  pro- 
jected coup  d'etat. 

He  knew  that  he  had  incurred  a  responsibility  of 
the  gravest  in  subjecting  the  Olive  Branch  to  con- 
straint, and  that  the  inopportune  appearance  of  this 
mysterious  craft,  her  consort,  could  not  but  add  heav- 
ily to  the  hazard  in  which  he  stood  —  a  personal 

228 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

hazard  to  which  he  had  only  exposed  himself  as  a 
last  resort  in  his  battle  of  wits  with  Casado.  He 
knew,  too,  that,  if  he  should  now  fall  short  of  final 
success  in  his  undertaking,  he  would  most  assuredly 
lose  his  official  head.  And  these  instantaneous  re- 
flections served  to  steady  him,  left  him  cool  and  very 
alert,  entirely  on  the  defensive.  He  would,  indeed, 
have  returned  to  his  flag-ship  forthwith,  had  it  not 
been  his  obvious  duty  to  see  as  much  more  as  he 
might  of  this  new  and  unusual  enemy,  of  whom, 
since  he  had  surprised  her  secret,  he  was  no  longer 
afraid.  He  felt  quite  sure  that  he  could  cope  with 
a  girl. 

He  therefore  accepted  complaisantly  her  invita- 
tion to  crack  a  bottle  of  wine  on  board,  according 
to  naval  custom.  She  seemed  to  be  thoroughly 
versed  in  all  the  routine  of  her  rank.  And,  as  he 
followed  her,  with  a  smirk  of  self-satisfaction  in  spite 
of  his  inward  misgivings,  she  called  an  order  across 
to  a  man  passing  aft  on  the  other  side  of  the  deck 
—  the  only  man  besides  the  look-out  on  the  fore- 
castlehead  of  whom  he  had  yet  caught  sight. 

"  Tim !  "  she  called,  and  her  slightly  raised  voice, 
of  a  velvet  softness  now,  delighted  the  admiral's  ears 
as  he  listened,  without  understanding.  "  Tim  Finu- 
cane !  Go  and  rouse  Mr.  Ingersoll  out,  and  —  Mr. 
Judson's  on  duty  below.  Tell  them  I'd  like  to  see 
them  both,  in  the  chartroom." 

229 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

She  led  the  way  to  a  black,  scorched  doorway 
under  the  bridge.  The  admiral  would  not  enter  be- 
fore her,  but  stood  bowing  elegantly,  hat  in  hand, 
till  she  preceded  him  with  an  indifferent  nod,  to 
whose  significance  he  was  blind.  He  seated  himself 
conveniently  and  with  a  complacent  smile,  although 
she  was  quite  oblivious  to  the  blandishment  of  his 
glance.  But,  almost  at  once,  before  he  could  frame 
words  to  fit  his  flirtatious  intentions,  these  were 
thrown  entirely  out  of  gear  by  the  unceremonious  in- 
terruption of  an  ugly,  oily  engineer,  who  came  thrust- 
ing in,  regardless  of  etiquette,  wiping  his  hands  on  a 
wisp  of  waste,  and  was  in  no  wise  abashed  by  the 
obvious  indignation  of  the  admiral,  whom  indeed 
he  greeted  with  a  very  genial  grin.  While  the  ad- 
miral, observing  what  he  did  not  seem  to  observe, 
the  sudden  shyness  of  the  girl's  regard,  gallantly 
strove  to  stifle  the  chagrin  and  disgust  with  which  he 
could  not  but  view  the  intrusion  of  any  such  individ- 
ual and  more  especially  at  such  a  juncture. 

Close  on  that  intruder's  heels,  too,  another  ap- 
peared, another  young  man,  much  cleaner  and  better 
looking,  though  somewhat  haggard  of  face,  clad  in 
shabby,  seafaring  blue  without  any  badges  of  rank, 
and  rubbing  his  eyes,  who  looked  askance  at  the 
admiral,  and  turned  to  the  girl  with  some  quick  in- 
quiry unintelligible  to  him.  But  she,  answering, 
spoke  of  the  Olive  Branch  again,  and  that  was  easy 

230 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

of  comprehension,  besides  reminding  the  admiral  that 
he  was  among  enemies. 

And,  if  anything  had  been  wanting  to  confirm 
him  in  that  belief,  the  behavior  of  the  last  comer 
would  assuredly  have  sufficed.  For,  at  the  name  of 
the  Olive  Branch,  the  young  man  in  blue  had  swung 
about  with  a  curt  exclamation  and  would  have 
dashed  out  on  deck  again,  had  not  the  girl  held  him 
with  some  hasty,  whispered  caution.  He  hung  on 
his  heel,  to  hear  what  she  had  to  say,  and,  having 
heard,  turned  on  the  admiral  with  a  demeanor  so 
threatening  that  the  admiral  got  hurriedly  to  his 
feet.  But  the  girl  interposed  again,  and  the  younger 
man  restrained  himself,  though  with  a  visible  effort. 
He  seemed  to  be  in  a  very  dangerous  humor. 

At  a  sign  from  her,  however,  he  also  seated  him- 
self, between  the  admiral  and  the  door.  And  she 
brought  out  from  a  locker  a  bottle  of  wine,  and  set  a 
glass  before  each  of  the  three  men.  She  was  so  as- 
suredly mistress  of  the  situation  that  the  admiral  was 
impelled  to  toast  her,  with  all  due  ceremony,  and 
thus  win  a  smile  in  despite  of  the  other  two.  The 
wine  was  most  excellent  old  Madeira.  The  smile 
he  had  won  was  bewitching.  He  even  unbent, 
for  her  sake,  in  so  far  as  to  accept  from  the  pre- 
sumptuous engineer  at  his  side  a  somewhat  damp 
cigar  and  a  lighted  match.  Then  he  folded  his  arms 
and  sat  stiffly  upright,  wishing  the  other  two  at  the 

231 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

devil,  only  waiting  till  they  should  be  gone.  She 
was  talking  with  them  now,  in  rapid  sentences  whose 
import  he  could  not  gather,  although  the  ominous 
name  of  the  Olive  Branch  cropped  up  constantly,  and 
it  ruffled  his  self-esteem  to  be  so  ignored.  He  would 
have  returned  to  his  flagship  forthwith,  but  —  his 
eyes  always  on  the  girl,  he  lingered,  indeterminately. 

Studying  her,  unnoticed  himself,  so  intent  were 
they  in  their  colloquy,  he  could  come  to  no  further 
conclusion  concerning  her,  or  her  ship,  or  her  ship's 
company.  She  was  not  in  the  least  like  any  other 
girl  he  had  ever  seen.  There  was  an  intangible 
something  about  her  which  set  her  apart,  clearly  sep- 
arate and  distinct  from  the  every-day  young  lady 
of  any  land  he  had  visited  on  voyages  which  had 
taken  him  all  over  the  world.  She  was  not  of  the 
half-world  either,  he  knew  intuitively,  although  she 
could  play  so  perfectly  and  in  an  age  so  prosaic  as 
this  the  role  of  a  bona  roba,  although  the  craft  she 
professed  to  command  was  more  like  a  pirate  than 
anything  else  and  he  would  have  had  no  hesitation 
in  hanging  her  two  companions  off-hand  for  gallows- 
bound  buccaneers. 

They  were  both  looking  blackly  at  him  by  now, 
and  behind  the  black  looks  of  one  at  least  lay  Immi- 
nent action.  But,  at  a  word  from  her,  the  engineer 
disappeared  again,  as  promptly  as  he  had  appeared. 
The  other  followed  him,  after  a  few  more  words 

232 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

with  her,  but  slowly  and  looking  backward.  And 
she  turned  once  more  to  the  admiral,  with  a  smile 
of  apology.  He  was  glad  then  that  he  had  been 
patient. 

She  refilled  his  glass,  and  sat  down  in  the  corner 
opposite  him,  one  elbow  upon  a  cushion,  a  foot 
tucked  under  her  on  the  settee.  And,  looking 
straight  into  his  eyes,  she  began  to  speak. 

He  listened  as  if  spell-bound  to  the  most  amazing 
and  altogether  incredible  story  she  told  him ;  a  story 
with  which  he  felt  sure  she  was  seeking  to  hoodwink 
him :  the  story  of  a  trust  betrayed,  an  abducted  heir- 
ess, a  ship  fired  and  scuttled  at  sea,  a  quest  quixotic, 
insane  as  any  ever  conceived  by  Cervantes.  And, 
if  it  did  occur  to  him  while  he  sat  there,  one  hand  on 
his  wine-glass,  waiting,  with  ever  and  anon  a  cour- 
teous inclination  of  the  head  to  show  his  close  atten- 
tion, that  she  must  think  him  very  gullible  indeed 
if  she  expected  him  to  take  for  fact  a  fabrication  so 
fantastic  on  the  face  of  it,  he  showed  no  sign  of  dis- 
content. He  was  sufficiently  well  pleased  to  be  so 
entertained  while  he  might  contemplate  unchecked 
a  picture  such  as  she  made  at  that  moment. 

When  she  had  told  him  all  she  might,  she  paused, 
regarding  him  attentively,  and  then  made  the  ap- 
peal he  had  expected  —  that  he  would  grant  her 
and  her  friends  immediate  access  to  the  Olive  Branch, 
if  only  for  an  hour. 

233 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

She  had  almost  bewitched  him  into  an  easy  belief 
in  her  nonsensical  narrative.  He  had  all  but  suc- 
cumbed to  the  wistful  entreaty  in  her  anxious  eyes. 
He  would  very  gladly  have  gained  her  favor  by 
granting  any  she  might  ask  of  him,  but  —  the  stem 
of  the  wine-glass  he  was  holding  suddenly  snapped 
in  his  fingers,  and  the  spell  she  had  woven  about  him 
was  broken.  He  sat  up,  with  a  nervous  start,  re- 
calling quite  clearly  then  all  that  any  ill-judged  gen- 
erosity might  cost  him.  She  had  almost  bewitched 
him,  but  even  for  her  he  could  not  jeopardize  his 
last  chance  of  success  in  a  matter  of  still  more  mo- 
ment than  her  immediate  conquest. 

He  looked  away  from  her,  in  case  she  should  yet 
succeed  in  undermining  his  adamant  decision.  The 
blockade  must  be  maintained  intact.  He  could  at 
present  allow  no  communication  between  the  two 
American  craft.  He  must  in  the  meantime  give  up 
all  hope  of  ingratiating  himself  with  her.  And,  see- 
ing that  he  stood  in  grave  danger  of  losing  ground 
again  should  he  delay  there  in  her  company,  he  rose 
reluctantly,  and  threw  his  cigar  away  with  a  grimace 
of  disgust. 

"  Ask  me  anything  but  that,  senhorita"  said  he 
in  a  grieved  voice.  And  she  seemed  to  understand 
at  once  that  he  was  not  to  be  turned  from  his  pur- 
pose. She  did  not  seek  to  detain  him. 

"  After  noon  to-morrow,  perhaps,"  he  added, 
234 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

emerging  on  deck,  "  it  may  be  possible.  But  until 
then,  alas !  "  He  shrugged  his  shoulders  hopelessly 
and  turned  toward  the  gangway. 

He  did  not  notice  the  two  young  men  who  had 
started  out  from  behind  the  smoke-stack  at  sight  of 
him,  but  the  girl  did  and  waved  them  away.  She 
saw  him  as  far  as  the  gangway  herself,  and  he  an- 
swered readily  enough  her  quick  questions  as  to  the 
situation  afloat  and  ashore,  since  by  doing  so  he  could 
to  some  extent  exculpate  himself  for  his  seeming 
ungraciousness.  And  from  the  stern  of  his  gig  as 
it  carried  him  off,  he  waved  his  cocked  hat  to  her 
with  a  most  fascinating  flourish.  She  had  expressed 
the  hope  that  she  might  meet  him  again,  on  the 
morrow. 

He  felt  sure  that  she  herself  had  a  soft  side  toward 
him,  and  that,  but  for  the  execrable  couple  who  had 
imposed  on  him  their  insolent  society,  he  would 
have  got  along  with  her  still  more  famously.  On 
the  poop  of  his  flag-ship  again,  strutting  to  and  fro, 
one  hand  behind  him,  the  other  thrust  into  the  breast 
of  his  tight-fitting  frock-coat,  he  suddenly  remem- 
bered that  he  had  forgotten  to  find  out  the  name 
of  the  craft  she  professed  to  command;  and  simul- 
taneously he  recalled  the  witchery  of  her  smile.  He 
stopped,  to  curl  his  moustaches  with  all  the  self-suf- 
ficiency of  the  professional  lady-killer,  and  his  glance 
shifted  from  the  strange  steamer  outside  to  the  Olive 

235 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Branch,  inshore.  The  latter  had  just  hoisted  a 
string  of  signals;  the  despatch-boat  had  left  her,  and 
was  well  on  its  way  to  the  flag-ship. 

He  ran  to  the  poop-rail,  to  issue  an  angry  order, 
and  called  for  the  code-book,  from  which  he  had 
plenty  of  time  to  translate  their  message  ere  another 
of  his  boats  could  reach  her  and  have  them  hauled 
down. 

"  Name  of  ship  and  official  number?  "  the  question 
ran,  and,  while  he  waited  eagerly  to  see  what  the 
answer  would  be,  the  stranger  began  to  move.  He 
flew  to  h'is  bridge,  desperately  intent  on  preventing 
her  from  approaching  the  Port  or  the  steamer  in- 
side. His  own  ship  was  cleared  for  action.  He 
piped  his  gun-crews  to  quarters. 

But  the  stranger  turned  slowly  seaward,  and,  as 
she  gathered  speed,  some  balls  of  bunting  traveled 
aloft  on  her  signal-halliards.  A  pull  set  them  flut- 
tering free,  and  the  admiral  fumbled  impatiently 
at  the  code  again  till  he  found  there  what  he  wanted. 

"  We  are  standing  by  to  assist  you,'*  he  read 
wrathfully,  and  threw  the  book  down  with  a  curse  as 
the  sub-lieutenant  of  the  despatch-boat  approached, 
holding  out  a  long  envelope. 

"  I  was  right,  after  all,  you  see !  "  he  hissed  to 
himself,  snatching  the  message  from  the  young  officer. 
"  They  are  in  connivance,  those,  two,  with  Casado. 

236 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

And  I  shall  soon  have  a  whole  hornet's  nest  about 
my  ears  since  I  have  left  one  at  liberty. 

"  But  —  no  matter.  I  have  so  far  acted  quite 
constitutionally.  And,  if  I  am  left  alone  till  to-mor- 
row, I'll  end  this  farce,  once  and  for  all.  That 
South  American  scoundrel  shall  pay  very  dearly  for 
having  involved  me  in  such  a  disastrous  risk." 

And  he  remained  where  he  was,  morosely  watching 
the  Calixte  on  her  way  westward  till  she  disappeared 
from  his  ken  behind  a  beetling  promontory  which 
forms  a  buttress  of  the  mountains  below  Bella  Vista. 


237 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A   DEAD-LOCK 

BUT,  as  may  be  supposed,  those  on  board  the 
Calixte  were  in  no  case  to  cause  him  any  in- 
convenience. 

Half  of  her  scanty  crew  had  been  sound  asleep 
when  Saleh,  standing  her  watch  on  the  bridge,  had 
at  last  picked  out  the  white  splash  of  color  that 
was  El  Puerto  at  the  foot  of  the  dark  mountains 
slowly  rising  over  the  sea-rim.  And  she  had  not 
thought  it  worth  while  to  rouse  out  the  bone-weary 
men  below :  she  knew  that  they  needed  all  the  sleep 
they  were  likely  to  get  before  they  must  turn  to 
again.  Watch  and  watch  on  a  short-handed  ship 
is  heart-breaking  work. 

Only  six  of  the  full  forecastle  complement  with 
which  the  Calixte  had  left  New  York  had  been  fool- 
ish enough  to  refuse  the  bait  Eustace  Gildersleeve 
had  held  out  to  them  before  he  had  scuttled  the 
yacht.  In  addition  to  these  he  had  perforce  left  on 
board  Tim  Finucane,  Mrs.  Mannering's  footman, 
whom  he  had  signed  on  as  assistant  steward  and  as  a 
likely  recruit  to  his  scheme,  but  who  had  proved 
very  much  the  reverse,  and  one  Quinlan,  a  quarter- 

238 


SALEH 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

master,  ringleader  of  the  obstructionists;  also,  and 
most  unfortunately  for  the  success  of  his  scheme,  the 
yacht's  second-engineer,  Elihu  Hitchcock,  of  Hobo- 
ken. 

For  it  was  Hitchcock  who  had  saved  her  from 
foundering. 

Battened  below  with  the  others,  to  roast  or  drown 
as  might  happen  first,  he  had  made  his  way  amid- 
ships by  means  of  the  water-tight  doorways  the  con- 
spirators had  left  wide,  dived  for  the  two  separate 
bilge-cocks  that  were  rapidly  flooding  her,  and 
fought  with  them,  under  water,  bare-handed,  blind 
in  the  pitch-black,  bubbling  hell,  till  he  had  got  them 
screwed  fast  again  —  in  time  and  no  more. 

And  the  same  solid  rain-squall  that  had  sealed 
the  fate  of  the  Fulmar,  a  few  miles  astern,  had 
quenched  the  fire  raging  on  deck. 

It  was  Hitchcock  also  who,  still  laboring  for  dear 
life  at  the  hand-pumps  with  his  fellow-castaways,  in 
the  ghostly  gray  of  the  dawn,  had  sighted  a  water- 
logged dinghy  adrift  in  the  grip  of  the  dying  gale 
and  bearing  helplessly  to  leeward  of  the  derelict 
yacht;  who  had  plunged  overside  with  a  line,  cheap- 
ening his  own  life  again,  and  so  brought  Ingersoll 
safely  on  board  —  Ingersoll  almost  spent  in  body 
and  mind,  still  suffering  under  the  added  horror  of 
his  belief  that  Tommy  Judson  had  gone  down  with 
the  unfortunate  Fulmar. 

239 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

But  he  in  turn  took  his  place  at  the  clacking 
pumps,  and  worked  there  dumbly  at  intervals 
throughout  that  age-long  day  during  which  it  was 
still  uncertain  whether  the  pumps  or  the  sea  would 
win;  through  another  night  to  make  sure  of  the  slow 
victory  when  calm  succeeded  the  storm.  So  the 
yacht  was  safely  afloat  again  by  the  time  that  out 
of  the  fog  there  came  from  southward  one  of  her 
own  boats  with  Tommy  Judson  on  board  and  Saleh 
for  company. 

Had  it  not  been  for  their  providential  arrival, 
Hitchcock  would  assuredly  have  been  at  pains  to 
attract  the  attention  of  that  unseen  craft  which  went 
blindly  by  in  the  fog  a  few  minutes  later  shattering 
the  stark  silence  with  bell  and  whistle ;  and  so  would 
unwittingly  have  brought  down  on  them  all  the  doom 
they  had  scarcely  escaped.  But  Saleh's  most  timely 
warning  had  saved  him  from  mistaking  the  Olive 
Branch  for  a  friend.  And  from  that  moment  their 
luck  had  stayed  steadily  by  them. 

It  had  been  their  first  intention  to  make  straight 
back  for  New  York  as  soon  as  it  should  be  possible 
to  get  steam  up  again.  But  Saleh,  with  Tommy 
Judson  to  aid  and  abet  her  at  every  turn,  had  changed 
that  also.  She  had  found  means  to  enlist  the  men 
in  a  project  too  utterly  hare-brained  to  have  appealed 
to  any  but  sailors.  Hitchcock,  a  man  of  few  words, 
quietly  nursing  a  very  personal  grudge  against  Eus- 

240 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

tace  Gildersleeve,  had  concurred  with  a  nod,  and 
Ingersoll  was,  of  course,  unspeakably  eager  to  carry 
her  most  audacious  suggestion  into  effect. 

And  thus  it  had  fallen  out  that  the  Calixte,  as 
shipshape  again  as  she  might  be  made,  held  south 
under  a  full  head  of  steam,  on  the  track  of  the 
Olvve  Branch. 

Hitchcock  and  Tommy  Judson  between  them 
attended  to  the  invalid  engines.  Saleh  and  Ingersoll 
took  turn  about  on  the  bridge,  and  Saleh's  training 
in  navigation  by  Captain  Dove  stood  them  in  excel- 
lent stead.  Quinlan,  the  ex-quartermaster,  per- 
formed yeoman  service  in  his  degree,  and  Tim  Finu- 
cane,  too,  was  a  host  in  himself.  Of  the  forecastle 
hands  not  one  failed  in  his  double  duty,  in  the  stoke- 
hold or  on  deck.  And,  the  weather  favoring,  they 
at  last  reached  the  roadstead  of  El  Puerto  without 
noteworthy  mishap. 

The  Portuguese  admiral's  interdict  was  all  the 
more  aggravating  therefore,  and  Ingersoll  in  particu- 
lar had  been  chafed  almost  beyond  endurance  by  that 
totally  unexpected  obstacle  cropping  up  when  they 
had  all  but  gained  their  goal.  He  had  been  an- 
ticipating daily  throughout  these  arduous  days  the 
moment  when  he  might  beard  Eustace  Gildersleeve, 
and  use  his  own  dear-bought  knowledge  of  that  gray- 
haired  rascal's  unholy  secrets  to  buy  Eileen  Saxilby 
back  from  him  —  even  at  the  price  of  silence. 

241 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

In  the  light  of  what  Tommy  Judson  and  Saleh 
had  told  him  concerning  the  Olive  Branch,  his  fears 
on  Eileen's  account  had  increased  day  by  day  and  a 
thousand-fold.  The  heavy  insurances  on  her  life 
which,  as  he  had  learned  from  the  docketed  sheaf 
of  papers  he  had  picked  up  in  Eustace  Gildersleeve's 
library,  her  guardian  had  so  lately  effected,  seemed 
of  a  much  more  malign  significance  now.  Every 
hour's  delay  could  not  but  add  to  the  horrible  risk 
overhanging  her.  Since  all  Eustace  Gildersleeve's 
other  expedients  seemed  to  have  failed  him,  he  would 
not  balk  very  long  at  that  last  murderous  shift  to 
stave  off  beggary. 

Ingersoll  was  almost  distracted,  and,  had  it  not 
been  for  Saleh,  he  would  without  doubt,  and  however 
unwisely,  have  called  the  Portuguese  admiral  to  ac- 
count in  person  for  his  high-handed  and  arbitrary 
procedure.  But  he  owed  Saleh  too  much  already  to 
disregard  her  earnest  appeal  to  his  better  judgment, 
and  left  her  to  deal  with  the  admiral  as  might  seem 
best  to  herself.  Even  when,  after  the  admiral  had 
returned  to  his  flag-ship,  she  had  to  admit  that  she 
had  failed  in  her  utmost  effort  to  move  him,  he 
choked  down  the  sick  disappointment  he  could  not 
but  feel,  and  applied  his  mind  resolutely  to  the 
planning  of  some  other  move  in  the  desperate  game 
they  were  playing.  But  the  strain  was  obviously  tell- 
ing on  him. 

242 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  What  now,  Saleh  ?  "  he  asked,  as  cheerfully  as 
he  could,  rejoining  her  on  her  way  back  to  the  bridge, 
and  she  smiled  encouragement.  Her  frank  and  sim- 
ple comradeship  was  very  comforting  to  him.  She 
had  been  below,  to  the  engine-room.  Tommy  Jud- 
son  had  already  returned  to  his  duty  there,  and  Hitch- 
cock to  the  sodden  sleep  from  which  he  had  been 
aroused  to  relieve  his  assistant.  But  Ingersoll  was 
too  much  on  edge  to  court  sleep  again. 

"  On  to  Altamirano,"  she  answered  confidently. 
"  We'll  see  whether  we  can't  board  the  Olive  Branch 
to-night  from  the  shore." 

His  drawn  face  cleared  a  little.  That  seemed 
feasible  enough :  more  feasible  undoubtedly  than  any 
such  rash  attempt  from  seaward  as  he  had  been  re- 
volving in  his  own  mind.  He  was  busy  over  the 
chart  when  she  spoke  again,  one  hand  on  the  engine- 
room  telegraph. 

"  Captain  Dove's  going  to  talk  to  us,"  she  said  in 
a  calm,  indifferent  voice,  and  picked  up  the  signal 
code.  A  cool,  casual  attitude  of  detachment  was  one 
of  her  many  unusual  characteristics.  "  '  Name  of 
ship  and  official  number,'  he  wants  to  know:  but  — 
I  don't  think  we'll  commit  ourselves.  Tell  you  what, 
though  —  if  we  say,  *  We're  standing  by  to  assist 
you,'  perhaps  Reuben  Yoxall'll  have  sense  enough  to 
tell  Eileen  Saxilby.  That'll  help  to  hearten  her  up, 
and,  anyhow,  it'll  puzzle  the  Old  Man  some." 

243 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Ingersoll  nodded  silent  and  grateful  assent.  He 
was  dimly  aware  that,  for  some  reason  also  obscure 
to  him,  she  had  no  great  love  for  the  girl  she  had 
done,  and  was  doing,  so  much  to  serve.  But  he  knew 
very  well  that  her  nature  was  finely  generous. 

She  called  Quinlan  up  and  gave  him  the  signal 
letters,  so  that,  as  the  Callxte  began  to  move,  the 
cryptic  answer  she  had  devised  streamed  out  on  the 
hot  north  wind. 

"  I  hope  Rube  gets  the  idea,"  she  remarked,  and 
Ingersoll  once  more  nodded  silently.  He  hated  to 
let  the  Olive  Branch  out  of  his  sight  again,  and  stood 
staring  back  at  her  through  a  pair  of  binoculars  till 
the  bluff  below  Bella  Vista  shut  in  the  anchorage  of 
El  Puerto;  and  then  he  faced  about,  still  without 
a  word,  to  take  stock  of  Altamirano  over  the  bow. 

There  was  nothing  at  all  prepossessing  about  the 
appearance  of  the  little  fishing-village  which  clung 
to  the  draggled  skirts  of  the  mountain:  a  number 
of  squalid,  mud-walled  hovels,  built  at  haphazard, 
between  the  cliffs  and  the  sea,  about  the  banks  of  the 
mountain  stream  off  whose  mouth  the  Callxte  shortly 
dropped  anchor.  And  its  inhabitants  paid  slight  at- 
tention to  the  arrival.  Only  a  few  came  to  their 
doorways  to  peer  through  the  sunshine  at  the  shapely 
white  steamer  which  had  awakened  wild  echoes 
among  the  rocks  above  with  the  roar  of  its  anchor- 
chain. 

244 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

But  when  three  foreigners  landed  on  the  unclean 
beach  below  —  two  muscular-looking,  brown-faced 
men  and  a  very  beautiful  girl  in  a  gown  that  called 
all  the  women  out  in  a  hurry  —  from  a  shabby, 
weather-worn  dinghy,  which  at  once  returned  to  the 
steamer,  some  signs  of  sensation  among  the  natives 
became  apparent.  A  number  of  slouching  men 
joined  the  slovenly  women  in  the  low  doorways,  and 
a  pack  of  mongrel  dogs  ran  baying  at  the  intruders 
till  Ingersoll  kicked  one  in  the  ribs,  since  no  one 
seemed  disposed  to  recall  them,  and  they  fled  to  a 
safer  distance,  snarling  savagely. 

The  three  strangers  halted  at  the  first  hut  they 
came  to,  and  while  they  were  holding  speech  with  its 
occupant,  a  sullen  half-breed,  most  of  his  fellows 
shuffled  over  to  hear  what  was  going  on.  When 
it  turned  out  that  the  gringos  were  seeking  horses 
to  take  them  as  far  as  the  Port,  the  visible  population 
of  Altamirano  laughed,  unpleasantly.  Was  it  likely 
that  poor  fisher-folk  would  have  horses  at  heck  and 
manger ! 

Their  insolent  mirth  angered  Ingersoll,  grown  very 
irritable  of  late,  and  he  would  promptly  have  dealt 
with  them  as  he  had  with  their  curs,  had  not  Saleh 
once  more  laid  a  restraining  hand  on  his  arm. 

"  Have  patience,"  she  whispered  reprovingly,  and 
turned  to  one  of  the  younger  men  with  a  smile  that 
served  to  enlist  him  at  least  in  her  service.  And, 

245 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

presently,  there  were  others  also  willing  to  aid  her. 
But,  with  it  all,  there  was  only  a  single  horse  to  be 
had,  and  that  a  sorry-looking  brute  belonging  to  a 
charcoal-burner,  who  did  not  happen  to  be  at  home 
then. 

"  Yoke  it  into  its  cart,"  said  Saleh  coolly,  and  her 
command  was  at  once  complied  with.  The  cart  was 
filled  with  clean  straw.  One  brought  out  a  stool 
for  a  step  and  she  leaped  lightly  into  her  place. 
Tommy  Judson  took  the  ragged  rope-reins,  and  In- 
gersoll  seated  himself  on  the  insecure  tail-board. 

"  How  far  to  the  Port?  "  Saleh  called  back  to  the 
little  gathering  they  were  already  leaving  behind: 
and :  "  Less  than  three  leagues,  senorita,"  answered 
a  dozen  voices  in  chorus. 

"  Tell  the  charcoal-burner  that  he  shall  have  his 
horse  back  by  to-morrow  morning  at  latest  —  y  hasta 
luego  amigos"  she  cried,  and  her  clear,  bell-like  tones 
reached  their  ears  distinctly  where  they  stood  bowing, 
bare-headed,  in  the  hot  sunshine  till  a  sudden  curve 
of  the  road  hid  them  and  their  squalid  village  from 
those  in  the  cart. 

The  roadway  was  one  of  the  roughest  and  quite 
unmade.  It  twisted  and  turned  to  follow  the  broken 
bend  of  the  beach,  sometimes  on  loose  shingle,  again 
among  massive  boulders  under  the  dwarf-oaks  on  the 
mountainsides.  For  over  an  hour  they  jolted  and 
rattled  along,  Tommy  Judson  driving  dexterously, 

246 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

without  exchanging  more  than  a  sentence  or  two,  since 
conversation  under  such  circumstances  was  practic- 
ally impossible.  But,  notwithstanding,  they  were 
well  content,  for  they  would  have  been  much  worse 
off  without  that  ramshackle  tumbril.  And  then  they 
reached  a  point  where  the  track  they  had  been  fol- 
lowing joins  the  high-road,  at  the  foot  of  the  long, 
steep  slope  that  leads  down  from  Bella  Vista  toward 
the  Port. 

"  We'll  get  along  faster  now,"  said  Tommy,  ever 
an  optimist;  and,  as  they  turned  the  corner :  "  Hello ! 
What's  this?" 

He  drew  up  so  hurriedly  that  the  charcoal-burner's 
horse  sat  down  on  its  haunches. 

"  What's  this?  "  said  he,  recovering  his  own  bal- 
ance. "  Looks  like  a  high-jump  to  me,  and  —  I 
don't  think  this  Orby  of  ours  is  any  sort  of  an  aero- 
plane!" 

But  Ingersoll,  intolerant  of  delay,  had  already 
leaped  down  and  was  advancing  on  foot  toward  a 
rough  fosse  and  loopholed  stockade  set  squarely 
across  the  highway  and  flanked  on  either  hand  by 
a  steep,  stone-clad  escarpment  of  natural  forma- 
tion. 

"  Halt,  there !  "  ordered  a  harsh  voice,  in  Spanish, 
and  he  was  aware  of  a  rifleman  regarding  him  sus- 
piciously over  the  parapet.  He  looked  round  for 
Saleh  to  act  as  interpreter  since  he  knew  little  or 

247 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

nothing  of  the  local  language,  and  found  her  almost 
at  his  elbow. 

"  The  road  this  way  is  closed,"  she  told  him  after 
the  sentry  had  spoken  again.  "  No  one  whatsoever 
may  pass.  It  is  by  the  President's  order.  We  are 
to  turn  back  and  keep  well  beyond  rifle-range.  If 
we  come  near  again  we'll  be  shot." 

Ingersoll  groaned  aloud  in  his  grievous  vexation  of 
spirit,  but  he  did  not  turn  away  although  the  man 
on  the  parapet  was  ostentatiously  displaying  a  well- 
kept,  workmanlike  Mauser.  And  Saleh  stood  fast, 
undismayed. 

"  Ask  for  the  officer  in  charge,"  shouted  Tommy 
Judson,  leaning  against  one  shaft  of  the  cart,  legs 
crossed,  in  a  negligent  attitude,  and,  at  the  words, 
another  head  and  shoulders  popped  into  sight  from 
behind  the  palisade.  They  were  those  of  a  very 
young  officer,  a  handsome  boy  in  his  blue  and  gold, 
whose  eyes  seemed  to  be  irresistibly  attracted  to  Saleh. 

He  stared  at  her  for  a  moment  without  a  word, 
threw  himself  astride  the  stockade,  and  paused  in  the 
act  of  slipping  down  its  outer  face  to  whisper  a  word 
or  two  to  the  sentry.  Then  he  descended  with  lithe 
ease,  climbed  out  of  the  dry  ditch  again  and,  coming 
forward,  saluted  her  with  a  decorous  precision. 

"  You're  English,"  he  said  delightedly,  and  his 
freckled  face  broke  into  a  beaming  smile  as  her  eyes 
met  his.  "  I'm  the  officer  in  charge  here.  My 

248 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

name's  Scarlett  —  Ulick  Scarlett.  Can  I  do  any- 
thing for  you  ?  " 

"  You  can  help  us  to  reach  the  Port,"  Saleh  an- 
swered, and  his  face  fell,  very  dismally,  as  he  shook 
his  head. 

"  I'm  awf'ly  sorry,"  he  said,  in  a  most  despondent 
tone  and  by  no  means  as  a  mere  matter  of  form, 
"  but  —  you  can  no  doubt  understand  how  I'm  situ- 
ated. My  orders  came  from  the  President  himself 
and  are  quite  explicit.  No  one  whatsoever  may  pass. 
And,  even  if  I  weren't  here,  you  know,  my  brother 
Ludovic  —  Colonel  Scarlett  —  would  hold  you  up 
at  his  post  further  on.  The  road's  absolutely 
closed." 

He  shook  his  head  again,  gloomily,  and  sighed. 
His  present  duty  had  of  a  sudden  become  altogether 
distasteful  to  him,  but  —  he  could  not  shirk  it. 

"  I'm  awf'ly  sorry,"  said  he.  "  I'd  give  a.  great 
deal  to  have  been  able  to  do  anything  for  you." 

Saleh  smiled  again,  and  his  frown  melted  under 
the  sunshine  of  her  regard. 

"  But  why  is  the  road  closed?  "  she  asked. 

"  The  Portuguese  fleet  outside's  going  to  shell  the 
President's  villa.  He's  had  to  evacuate  it  for  the 
present.  There  isn't  a  living  soul  between  here  and 
my  brother's  post,  and  no  one's  to  be  allowed  to 
enter  the  danger  zone.  It's  really  very  decent  of 
the  President  to  have  taken  such  precautions,  don't 

249 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

you  think?  And  they're  only  temporary,  of  course. 
The  moment  things  are  more  settled  the  road  will  be 
open  to  traffic  again." 

He  was  prompt  with  his  explanation,  glad  to  jus- 
tify with  a  plea  so  valid  his  strict  attention  to  orders. 
And  Saleh  saw  that  it  would  be  idle  to  impeach  his 
employer  to  him.  He  was  not  to  be  suborned.  She 
extended  a  shapely  hand  to  him,  since  there  was  no 
more  to  be  said,  and  he,  his  sword  held  close  to  his 
side,  bowed  over  it  deferentially,  blushing.  He  was 
no  more  than  a  boy,  in  exile,  for  all  his  soldierly 
bearing  and  smart  uniform. 

"  I'm  aw-fly  sorry,"  said  he,  for  the  third  time, 
and  she  hesitated  for  a  moment,  still  holding  his 
hand,  looking  wistfully  into  his  eyes,  while  Ingersoll, 
standing  silently  by,  regarded  the  two  of  them  with 
a  preoccupied,  puzzled  frown.  Then  she  turned 
away  and  rejoined  Tommy  Judson.  The  last  they 
saw  of  Ulick  Scarlett  was  his  head  and  shoulders, 
behind  the  stockade  again,  as  he  stood  staring  de- 
jectedly after  them. 

The  charcoal-burner's  crock  traveled  slowly  on  its 
way  homeward.  And  they  did  not  seek  to  hurry 
it,  since  there  was  nothing  to  be  gained  by  hurry. 
The  Olive  Branch  was  enclosed  on  all  sides  against 
them. 

Ingersoll  trudged  back  to  Altamirano  behind  the 
cart,  on  foot  and  stumbling  often.  His  mind  was 

250 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

almost  a  blank  He  was  unutterably  cast  down  by 
the  absolute  dead-lock  to  which  these  unforeseen  com- 
plications had  brought  them.  And  neither  of  the 
other  two  had  anything  at  all  to  say. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE   KEY   TO   THE   SITUATION 

THE  heavy-eyed  inhabitants  of  the  village 
flocked  out  in  force  to  receive  them  on  their 
return,  and  foremost  among  these  on  this 
occasion  was  the  charcoal-burner  himself,  loudly  be- 
wailing the  adverse  lot  of  his  cherished  horse;  but 
close  at  his  heels  came  the  young  fisherman  on  whom 
Saleh  had  first  prevailed  to  assist  her. 

"  Leave  me  to  settle  with  them,"  she  told  Tommy 
Judson,  and  he,  knowing  her  capabilities,  made  no 
demur  but  took  Ingersoll  off  down  to  the  beach,  to 
signal  the  yacht  for  their  boat. 

Quinlan  was  on  watch,  and  sent  the  dinghy  ashore 
at  once.  Saleh  did  not  keep  them  waiting  either,  but 
came  tripping  down  the  shingle  on  the  arm  of  her 
chief  assistant  and  in  close  conversation  with  him, 
followed  by  a  combined  and  friendly  farewell  from 
his  fellows,  including  the  fractious  charcoal-burner, 
—  and  their  womenkind.  Even  the  dirty  children 
wallowing  in  the  dust  shrilled  a  valediction  after  her 
as  she  turned  in  her  seat  to  wave  an  inclusive  adieu 
to  the  half-savage  folk  over  whom  she  had  gained 

252 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

such  speedy  ascendance.  And  Tommy  Judson,  ob- 
serving her,  smiled  all  over  his  ugly  face.  To  see 
her  play  Princess  Charming  was  a  rare  pleasure,  and 
the  part  suited  her  to  perfection. 

Hitchcock  had  come  up  from  his  engine-room 
to  hear  what  had  happened  ashore.  He  was  sick 
for  the  feel  of  dry  land  underfoot  himself,  and  she, 
understanding,  stopped  at  the  gangway  to  tell  him 
how  they  had  fared.  Ingersoll,  unable  to  stand  still 
so  long,  had  passed  on  and  was  once  more  pacing 
the  bridge  with  head  bent,  hands  clasped  tight  behind 
him.  Tommy  Judson  glanced  anxiously  after  him, 
but  thought  best  to  leave  him  alone  for  the  pres- 
ent. 

"  Did  you  man-age  to  get  that  key  made?  "  Saleh 
asked  eagerly  of  the  engineer,  and  he,  nodding,  glad 
to  be  able  to  please  her,  produced  from  one  pocket 
a  long,  thin,  strangely  shaped  piece  of  steel. 

"  It's  a  skeleton,"  he  informed  her.  "  I've  been 
busy  at  it  ever  since  you  went  ashore.  The  ward's 
a  very  intricate  one." 

"What's  that  for?"  Tommy  Judson  demanded, 
and  Hitchcock  as  well  looked  inquisitive. 

"  It's  the  key  to  the  situation,"  said  Saleh  with 
brisk  and  inspiriting  certainty.  "  Come  below  and 
I'll  tell  you  all  about  it.  But  you'd  better  get  an- 
other hour  or  two's  sleep,  Mr.  Hitchcock  —  you'll 
probably  have  a  long  watch  to  stand  to-night. 

253 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  I  expect  we'll  be  going  ashore  again  after  dark," 
she  added,  as  the  engineer  was  turning  away,  a  little 
disconsolately,  "  and  we'll  have  to  leave  you  in 
charge  on  board,  in  case  of  any  change  in  the  weather. 
How  many  of  the  men  would  it  be  safe  to  take  with 
us  ?  With  Quinlan  on  deck  —  and  a  couple  of  oth- 
ers —  Could  you  handle  the  Calixte  with  a  crew  of 
three,  Mr.  Hitchcock?" 

"  In  anything  short  of  a  hurricane,"  he  returned 
valiantly,  and  strove  to  conceal  his  visible  disappoint- 
ment. "  I'll  keep  steam  up  all  the  time,  of  course, 
and,  if  we've  to  shift,  I'll  shift  early,  to  save  the 
anchor.  Then  I'll  stand  by  in  the  offing,  and  show 
a  white  light  every  now  and  then  to  let  you  know 
where  I  am.  When  you  come  out,  give  me  a  long 
and  a  short  flash  from  your  sailing-lantern,  and  I'll 
pick  you  up.  But  I  don't  expect  to  have  to  shift 
—  the  glass  is  steady  enough  and  there's  no  sign  of 
wind  yet." 

She  bestowed  on  him  a  satisfied  nod  and  a  warm 
smile  of  approval,  but  he,  gazing  after  her  as  she 
went  on  her  way,  heaved  a  heavy  sigh.  He  would 
willingly  have  changed  places  with  Tommy  Judson, 
who',  he  thought,  did  not  seem  to  appreciate  as  he 
ought  the  sunshine  of  her  society.  Then  he,  too,  dis- 
appeared below,  obedient  to  her  behest,  content  to 
leave  the  ordering  of  affairs  in  her  very  competent 
hands:  for,  having  pledged  himself  to  her  service, 

254 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Elihu  Hitchcock  was  not  the  man  to  serve  her  grudg- 
ingly. 

Tommy  Judson  seated  himself  at  the  table  in  the 
mildewed  main-saloon  off  which  Saleh  had  her  quar- 
ters in  the  suite  of  rooms  Eileen  Saxilby  had  once  oc- 
cupied. Those  Mrs.  Mannering  had  inhabited,  on 
the  opposite  side,  had  been  under  water  while  the 
accommodation  to  port  had  been  left  high  and  dry 
by  the  list  of  the  ship. 

"  I  wish  I  hadn't  given  that  brass-bound  Portu- 
guese blue-fish  my  last  cigar !  "  he  said  to  himself 
disconsolately,  and  Saleh  laughed  from  within. 

"  You'll  find  one  among  the  wine-glasses  on  the 
buffet,"  she  called.  "  I  picked  it  up  in  the  passage 
this  morning  and  left  it  there  to  dry." 

"  More  luck  to  you  I  "  he  returned  with  a  grin  of 
gratification,  and  was  not  long  in  possessing  himself 
of  the  precious  weed.  He  was  turning  it  over  ten- 
derly in  his  fingers  when  she  came  forth  from  her 
cabin  again. 

"  Listen,  Tommy,"  she  said,  in  a  more  serious 
tone,  and  laid  on  the  table  a  roll  of  papers  she  had 
brought  with  her. 

He  struck  a  match,  reseated  himself,  opposite  her, 
puffing  vigorously,  and,  "  I'm  listening,"  he  returned. 
In  all  his  dealings  with  her  he  behaved  just  as  he 
would  with  another  man,  very  courteous  always  but 
without  constraint  or  formality. 

255 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

She  smoothed  out  the  papers  and  spoke  again,  con- 
cise and  matter  of  fact. 

"  The  Portuguese  admiral's  holding  Casado,  the 
President  of  Nicazuela,  prisoner  —  on  the  Olive 
Branch.  And  he  won't  allow  us  on  board  her,  or  to 
send  Captain  Dove  or  Slyne  or  Gildersleeve  any 
word,  till  he's  good  and  ready.  He  wants  money 
from  Casado,  and  Casado  won't  part.  We,  too, 
want  money  and  —  we  know  where  to  get  it.  The 
admiral  doesn't.  The  Casa  Rosada's  deserted,  and 
under  guard  —  but  from  a  safe  enough  distance  for 
us.  Now's  our  time  to  have  a  try  for  the  treasure 
there.  If  Jose  Maria  Moreno's  plans  are  worth  any- 
thing, all  we  have  to  do  is  to  help  ourselves." 

She  ceased  abruptly,  but  her  eyes  —  eyes  eager, 
aglow,  with  strange,  lambent  lights  in  them,  like  twin 
rainbows  —  still  held  his.  His  jaw  had  dropped. 
He  sat  there  glowering  at  her,  like  a  man  in  a  trance. 

In  her  smartly  tailored  shore-going  suit,  one  of 
those  which  she  had  adapted  to  her  own  use  from  the 
plentiful  wardrobe  Eileen  Saxilby  had  perforce  left 
on  board,  with  a  broad-brimmed  hat  and  a  folded 
veil  hiding  her  heavy  red-gold  hair,  she  might  have 
been  any  conventional  young  woman  of  his  acquaint- 
ance. It  had  startled  him  immeasurably  to  hear  her 
propose,  in  her  cool,  clear  voice  —  with  that  little, 
elusive  lilt  in  it  which  had  stirred  his  pulses  so  sin- 
gularly when  he  first  heard  it  —  an  exploit  that 

256 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

would  have  been  well  conceived  a  couple  of  hundred 
years  ago  and  under  the  Jolly  Roger.  He  had  al- 
most grown  accustomed  to  Saleh,  and  yet  — 

He  rose  from  his  seat,  to  free  himself  of  her  stead- 
fast, magnetic  glance  —  he  could  scarcely  think  while 
she  held  him  so  —  and  for  a  time  shuffled  up  and 
down  the  dilapidated  saloon,  sucking  spasmodically 
at  his  cold  cigar. 

"  I  promised  the  men  I'd  show  them  the  way  to 
the  vault  at  the  villa,  if  we  could  get  here  in  time," 
said  Saleh,  "  and  they've  worked  well."  But  he 
merely  nodded  to  show  he  had  heard.  It  was  not 
of  the  men  he  was  thinking  just  then,  but  of  her, 
and  himself,  and  the  recent  past,  and  the  always 
more  problematic  future;  for  he  could  not  but  sub- 
scribe to  her  bold  design. 

It  was  only  the  grotesquely  abnormal  exigency  of 
the  moment  that  at  first  sight  had  confounded  him. 
It  had  been  more  than  a  little  difficult  to  imagine 
himself,  at  such  short  notice  and  in  the  twentieth 
century,  in  the  role  of  a  working  pirate.  And  dur- 
ing the  last  few  weeks  he  had  undergone  a  sufficiency 
of  such  disconcerting  changes. 

But  he  knew  that,  on  broad  grounds,  the  course 
she  suggested  now  was  by  no  means  so  criminal  as  it 
sounded.  He  could  have  no  real  scruples  of  con- 
science concerning  it;  for  the  hoard  in  the  vault  at 
the  President's  villa  consisted  in  part  at  least  of 

257 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Eustace  Gildersleeve's  ill-advised  loan.  Eileen  Sax- 
ilby  had  been  despoiled  of  her  fortune  to  augment 
that,  and  Eustace  Gildersleeve  had  robbed  Ingersoll 
also  of  no  meager  amount  in  the  course  of  his  crooked 
dealings  with  the  defunct  firm  of  Aylwin  and  Inger- 
soll. 

"  Well  ?  "  Saleh  demanded,  a  little  impatiently, 
and  he  paused  in  his  promenade. 

"  But  —  how  are  we  going  to  get  there  —  and 
back?"  he  asked,  his  voice  strange  and  far-away  in 
his  own  ears,  wondering  what  the  end  of  all  these 
unexampled  entanglements  was  likely  to  be. 

"  Here  are  the  maps  and  plans,"  she  rejoined, 
always  with  the  same  businesslike  brevity,  and  spread 
them  out  on  the  table.  It  was  evident  that  to  her  at 
least  there  was  nothing  unprecedented  in  such  a  pro- 
ceeding. "  Here's  the  master-key  Mr.  Hitchcock 
has  made  from  a  tracing  Moreno  had.  We're  going 
to  get  there  and  back  in  a  big  fishing-boat  I've  been 
promised  the  use  of  by  one  of  those  people  ashore. 

"  My  idea  is  to  drift  along  to  the  villa,  close  in- 
shore, after  dark.  We'll  take  all  but  the  three  men 
we  must  leave  Mr.  Hitchcock,  so  that,  if  we've  any 
luck,  we  may  be  able  to  bring  away  all  we  want  with- 
out wasting  a  moment.  And,  once  we've  got  that 
safely  on  board,  we'll  be  in  a  much  better  position 
to  do  something  for  —  that  girl  on  the  Olive 
Branch." 

258 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

She  looked  up,  over  her  shoulder,  a  quick,  keen, 
questioning  glance,  as  he  halted  again,  behind  her 
chair,  to  stare,  still  somewhat  stupidly,  at  the  crum- 
pled papers  she  had  displayed:  he  found  it  hard  to 
believe  that  any  such  golden  opportunity  was  to  be 
so  simply  seized.  But  he  did  not  observe  her  expres- 
sion, and  the  little  catch  in  her  voice  conveyed  nothing 
to  him.  From  his  preoccupied  air  he  might,  indeed, 
have  been  quite  insensible  to  the  spell  of  her  presence. 

"  How'd  you  like  to  be  President  of  Nicazuela, 
Tommy?  "  she  asked  suddenly,  and  he  shrugged  his 
shoulders  over  such  an  inconsequent  idea. 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  responded  bluntly,  and  she  bit 
her  lip. 

When  Ingersoll,  looking  ever  more  haggard  and 
careworn,  came  below,  a  few  minutes  later,  he  found 
them  poring  together  over  Moreno's  plan  of  the 
villa  and  its  approaches.  And  at  sight  of  him 
Tommy  Judson,  suddenly  jubilant,  jumped  to  his 
feet,  that  he  might  the  more  conveniently  propound 
Saleh's  daring  project.  But  she  sat  silent,  scanning 
their  faces  closely.  She  did  not  feel  very  sure  that 
Ingersoll  might  not  be  piqued  by  her  having  taken 
Tommy  into  her  confidence  first,  although  she  had 
not  done  so  thoughtlessly.  And  she  had  had  more 
to  say  to  Tommy,  but  for  his  coming. 

There  was  no  time  for  any  further  confidence  then, 
however.  Ingersoll  threw  himself  heart  and  soul 

259 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

into  this  necessary  phase  of  their  enterprise,  a  phase 
he  had  lately  overlooked  altogether.  Tommy 
rushed  off  to  rouse  Hitchcock  out,  and  came  back 
with  the  engineer,  all  agog.  They  spent  the  rest  of 
the  afternoon  in  arranging  the  details  of  the  ex- 
pedition, getting  together  such  gear  as  might  be  of 
use,  selecting  the  men  for  the  landing-party  by  lot, 
since  all  were  anxious  to  go,  and  instructing  them  in 
their  multifarious  duties.  Only  five  could  be  spared 
from  the  ship,  but  even  those  to  be  left  behind  were 
busy  and  wide  awake. 

The  sun  had  set  before  they  had  completed  their 
preparations  and  sat  down  to  a  much-needed  meal. 
And  scarcely  had  they  gone  on  deck  again  when  out 
of  the  dull  haze  already  enshrouding  Altamirano 
came  very  quietly  a  blurred  brown  shape,  which,  as 
it  lumbered  alongside,  developed  the  concrete  form 
of  the  fishing-boat  Saleh  was  anxiously  expecting. 

There  was  only  one  man  on  board  it.  He  drew 
his  heavy  sweep  inboard,  caught  the  rope  Quinlan 
threw  him,  and,  having  made  fast,  climbed  nimbly 
up  the  yacht's  side.  Saleh  crossed  to  the  rail  and 
held  out  a  hand  to  him  in  most  friendly  fashion. 

"  Here  I  am,  senorita"  said  he  breathlessly,  bend- 
ing over  it,  "  as  I  promised  you.  And  no  one  else 
knows." 

"  I  felt  sure  you  would  not  fail  me,"  she  answered 
with  a  radiant  smile,  and  his  olive  face  lighted  up 

260 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

with  gratification.  "  And  now  —  you  will  wait  here 
on  board  until  we  return." 

His  eyes  expressed  hurt  disappointment,  but  he 
bowed  his  head. 

"  To  serve  you,  senorita,"  he  said  submissively ; 
and  she,  pleased  to  find  him  so  tractable,  turned  to 
commend  him  to  Hitchcock's  especial  care. 

"  I'll  look  after  him  all  right,"  the  engineer  prom- 
ised, "  and,  say,  Miss  Saleh,  if  you'd  like  to  take 
Quinlan  along,  I  can  manage  well  enough  with  this 
chap  and  the  two  others.  You'll  want  every  — " 

"  If  you're  quite  sure,"  she  said  anxiously  and  yet 
eagerly,  and,  as  Hitchcock  nodded  with  quiet  assur- 
ance, Quinlan  stepped  forward,  pulling  excitedly  at 
his  forelock,  his  features  one  wide  smile. 

"  Thank  ye  kindly,  Mr.  Hitchcock,"  said  he.  "  It 
'ud  have  been  cruel  hard  to  be  left  behind."  And 
he  disappeared  in  the  wake  of  his  fellows  already 
swarming  down  on  the  fishing-boat. 

Such  appliances  for  the  sack  of  the  villa  as  they 
had  been  able  to  improvise  were  passed  overside. 
Saleh  and  Ingersoll  and  Tommy  Judson  in  turn  de- 
scended the  ladder.  The  fishing-boat  pushed  off, 
with  four  men  at  the  sweeps,  and  almost  at  once  was 
swallowed  up  in  the  surrounding  obscurity. 


261 


CHAPTER  XIX 

UNDER   THE   SEARCH-LIGHT 

THE  boat  traveled  almost  noiselessly,  for  the 
men  had  muffled  their  sweeps.  Tommy 
Judson,  steering,  headed  her  as  well  as  he 
could  for  the  lofty  bluff  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  bay. 
There  was  no  wind,  and  the  heat-haze  thickened  the 
gathering  darkness.  A  dog  yowled  evilly  in  the 
village,  and  the  sound  helped  them  to  keep  some 
sense  of  direction  till,  in  the  course  of  time,  they 
could  hear  the  grumble  of  the  ground-swell  among 
the  rocks  on  the  shore.  Then  they  held  slowly  along 
the  land,  at  a  safe  distance,  steering  by  oar,  and  see- 
ing nothing  until,  beyond  the  bluff,  they  opened  up 
the  roadstead  of  El  Puerto,  and  caught  sight  of  the 
ship's  lights  there;  and  then  of  the  dimly  twinkling 
town. 

"  The  admiral's  got  his  search-light  going,"  said 
Ingersoll,  breaking  the  two  hours'  silence  that  had 
obtained  since  they  had  set  out,  and,  even  as  he 
spoke,  a  long,  white  finger  flashed  through  the  night, 
swept  over  the  Olive  Branch,  darkly  outlining  her, 
and  traced  the  curve  of  the  beach  with  its  tip  till  it 

2,62 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

pointed  directly  toward  the  fishing-boat  —  and  passed 
on. 

"We  must  keep  still  closer  inshore,"  Saleh  whis- 
pered, "  and  stop  every  time  it  strikes  us.  And  we'll 
drape  the  sail  overside,  so's  to  hide  our  shape.  From 
where  they  are  we'll  look  like  a  rock,  if  they  don't 
catch  us  moving." 

They  skirted  along  in  the  deeper  shadow  of  the 
mountain-face  for  another  half-hour,  drawing  ever 
nearer  the  danger.  The  questing  finger  traversed 
their  course  three  times  before  it  at  last  hung  back 
and  halted,  straight  over  them.  They  crouched 
low,  and  waited,  holding  their  breaths,  the  boat  at 
a  quick  stand-still.  After  an  interval,  interminable 
to  them,  the  finger-tip  slowly  retraced  the  curve  it 
had  come  by,  and,  in  an  instant,  overlay  the  boat 
again. 

"  We  must  make  a  dash  for  it,"  said  Saleh,  "  the 
moment  they  lift  the  light.  That's  the  villa,  there, 
in  the  clump  of  palms,  close  ahead  of  us,  and  I 
saw  the  creek  as  well.  Let  me  take  the  tiller, 
Tommy." 

The  white  finger  trembled  a  little  and  faded  away. 

"  Now's  our  time,"  Tommy  Judson  ejaculated. 
"  Their  carbon's  burned  out  or  gone  bust.  Give 
way,  men !  It  won't  take  them  a  minute  to  ship  an- 
other." 

The  boat  sprang  forward  under  the  drive  of  its 
263 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

heavy  sweeps  with  all  hands  at  work.  Saleh  stood 
up,  straining  her  eyes  in  the  darkness. 

"  Easy  all !  "  she  ordered  presently.  "  Back- 
water!  Stand  by  to  fend  off !  "  The  fishing-boat  ran 
smoothly  into  a  rock-bound  creek,  and  took  the 
ground  there  with  a  bump.  A  man  splashed  over- 
board with  a  rope  which  he  made  fast  to  a  sturdy 
dwarf-oak  on  the  hummock  behind.  His  ship-mates 
were  no  less  active.  By  the  time  that  Tommy  and 
Ingersoll  had  got  Saleh  ashore  dryshod,  the  others 
had  everything  ready  for  moving  on;  so  that  there 
was  no  delay  and  they  set  forward  for  the  villa  at 
once,  stumbling  doggedly  over  the  rough  ground  in 
the  thick  gloom. 

The  search-light  came  into  action  again  before  they 
had  gone  very  far,  and  that  helped  them  more  than 
a  little.  Each  time  it  flashed  along  the  shore  they 
were  enabled  to  get  their  bearings,  and  once,  when  it 
rested  for  a  short  space  on  the  low  white  building 
before  them,  they,  in  the  shadow,  mended  their  pace 
to  a  run  which  took  them  as  far  as  the  avenue  under 
the  palms. 

Thereafter  they  made  quicker  progress,  creeping 
noiselessly,  in  Indian  file,  along  the  turf  at  the  edge 
of  the  avenue,  past  the  great  iron  gates  that  closed 
the  villa  entrance  against  them,  round  to  its  rearmost 
wall,  where  the  voices  of  the  ravine  warned  them 
against  going  farther.  They  had  observed  no  least 

264 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

sign  of  life  within,  and  were  not  in  the  mood  to  waste 
a  moment. 

"  Here's  the  place,"  said  Tommy  Judson,  who  had 
been  counting  the  narrow,  grated  windows  on  that 
side  by  sense  of  touch  as  he  came  along.  < 

Quinlan,  leading  the  line  behind  him,  stepped 
swiftly  forward,  swung  a  strong  arm  once  or  twice, 
and  sent  something  hurtling  through  the  air  toward 
the  parapet-rail  above. 

"  Stand  from  under  I  "  he  whispered  hoarsely  as 
the  grapnel  bit  at  the  stucco  balustrade,  brought 
down  a  shower  of  chips,  and  fell  back  with  a  vicious 
thud. 

He  threw  it  again,  and  it  held.  He  pulled  on  the 
line  leading  through  a  light  block  shackled  to  it,  and 
clung  to  that  while  the  man  behind  him  went  over 
to  test  the  hold  of  the  rope-ladder  he  had  run  up. 
The  grapnel  gave  a  little  under  their  double  weight, 
but  maintained  its  grip.  The  man  at  the  ladder  was 
on  the  parapet  in  a  trice  and  soon  had  the  topmost 
rung  secured  to  the  coping.  Those  waiting  below 
were  not  long  in  joining  him  on  the  flat,  flagged  roof. 

Tommy  crossed  it  cautiously  and  looked  down 
on  the  inner  courtyard.  It  also  was  black  and  dark. 
He  listened  intently,  but  the  only  faint  sound  that 
reached  his  ears  was  the  tinkle  of  water  falling  from 
some  invisible  fountain.  The  others  were  standing 
motionless  and  in  perfect  silence. 

265 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  gave  vent  to  a  low,  sibilant  whistle,  and,  as 
they  came  toward  him,  unwound  a  coil  of  rope  from 
about  his  waist,  made  it  fast  to  a  projecting  chimney, 
and  let  himself  down  into  the  courtyard,  hand  over 
hand.  Ingersoll  came  slipping  after  him.  Satisfied 
that  all  was  as  safe  as  it  might  be,  he  whistled  again 
and  the  ladder  was  lowered  on  that  side.  Saleh  was 
down  in  a  moment,  and  the  men  followed  her  no  less 
speedily.  The  last  of  them  laced  through  the  ladder 
one  end  of  the  rope  he  had  cast  off  from  the  chimney 
and  so  hoisted  it  from  the  ground  to  the  coping  in  a 
neat,  invisible  roll. 

"  Got  the  key?  "  asked  Saleh  softly,  and  Tommy 
laid  it  against  her  fingers  in  answer  before  moving 
onward.  They  might  have  been  a  procession  of 
ghosts,  so  noiselessly  did  they  pass  along  the  veran- 
dah about  the  flower-garden  and  its  always  tink- 
ling fountain.  Tommy  stopped  before  the  only 
door  there  and  carefully  inserted  his  key  in  its 
lock. 

He  tried  to  turn  it,  gently  at  first,  then  more  firmly, 
but  the  ward  withstood  both  these  methods.  It 
yielded,  however,  to  a  counterpressure,  and  he  blessed 
Hitchcock  under  his  breath.  He  pushed  the  door 
open,  and  the  shrill,  insistent  whir  of  an  electric 
alarum  rent  the  silence  with  nerve-shattering  sud- 
denness. He  sprang  inside,  closed  the  door  again, 
and  fumbled  there  till  he  found  the  connecting  wire, 

266 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

which  he  wrenched  from  its  fastenings.  The  others 
trooped  in,  and  the  door  clicked  to  behind  them. 

He  felt  his  way  to  the  window,  and  found  it  shut- 
tered, as  he  had  expected,  so  that  he  could  now 
safely  light  the  small  candle-lamp  he  had  with  him. 
Its  faint  glimmer  showed  that  his  little  force  was  all 
there  and  in  order. 

"  Would  it  not  be  as  well  to  leave  a  look-out?  "  he 
suggested  to  Saleh  and  Ingersoll,  but  the  girl  shook 
her  head  decidedly,  and  Ingersoll  made  no  remark. 

"  Every  man's  worth  his  weight  in  gold  to  us," 
she  reminded  him,  and  without  more  words  he  ad- 
dressed himself  to  the  inner  door.  It  also  yielded 
to  the  master-key,  and  they  passed  from  room  to 
room  at  short  intervals,  treading  on  tiptoe,  closing 
each  door  quietly  behind  them  since  every  one  was 
set  on  strong  springs  and  would  not  stand  open  un- 
secured. 

They  were  on  that  side  of  the  edifice  which  over- 
hung the  ravine,  and  the  echo  of  the  cascade  there 
came  dully  to  their  ears  through  the  shuttered  win- 
dows. Each  time  they  came  to  a  stop,  they  listened 
closely,  but  without  hearing  anything  else.  A  grow- 
ing sense  of  security  possessed  them,  and  Tommy  did 
not  linger  at  the  last  door. 

A  flood  of  light  poured  out  on  them  as  he  pulled 
it  open,  and  so  startled  him  that  he  sprang  back  and 
let  it  go.  It  closed  with  a  clang  of  steel,  and  left 

267 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

them  in  black  darkness  again,  for  his  candle  had 
flickered  out  as  he  jumped.  The  men  behind  him 
stood  where  they  were,  waiting,  on  the  alert. 

"  Stand  clear,"  he  whispered  hoarsely  and  once 
more  stepped  to  the  door,  his  revolver  cocked. 
Again  he  pulled  it  open,  but  this  time  he  sprang  for- 
ward, into  the  light.  And  Ingersoll  was  close  at  his 
heels.  A  single  swift  glance  sufficed  to  show  that 
the  room  was  empty.  The  light  came  from  a 
syphon-fed  lamp  on  one  of  the  white-washed  walls. 
Its  reservoir  might  have  held  oil  to  burn  for  a  fort- 
night. 

Tommy  Judson  was  inwardly  much  relieved,  but 
his  face  was  quite  expressionless  as  he  looked  about 
him  with  leisurely  interest  while  the  men  filed  in. 
The  place  was  very  plainly  furnished  as  a  sleeping- 
room  and  showed  signs  of  recent  occupancy.  There 
was  dirty  water  in  the  basin  on  a  deal  wash-stand 
under  the  window.  A  clothes-whisk  and  a  boot- 
polisher  lay  on  the  uncovered  table.  There  were 
muddy  foot-prints  not  very  many  hours  old  on  the 
uncarpeted  floor. 

"  This  is  the  President's  den,"  said  Saleh,  at  his 
shoulder.  "  Casado  must  have  been  here  this  morn- 
ing, before  he  went  out  to  the  Olive  Branch.  And 
he's  been  down  in  the  cellar,  too.  The  trap-door 
should  be  under  this  table,  Help  me  to  shift  it." 

Ingersoll  lifted  the  table  aside  and  displaced  the 
268 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

mat  that  had  lain  under  it.  Saleh  stooped  down, 
lifted  the  carefully  carpentered  hatch  herself, 
and  stood  over  it,  flushed,  triumphant.  She  had  felt 
herself  responsible  for  the  accuracy  of  the  plans  they 
had  had  to  help  them  so  far. 

Tommy  Judson  had  relighted  his  lamp,  and  with 
it  went  down  the  steps.  But  its  dim  flare  did 
little  more  than  accentuate  the  still  gloom  of  that 
cimerian  burrow.  As  soon  as  his  eyes  had  some- 
what recovered  from  the  glare  above,  he  began  to  in- 
spect the  place  methodically,  with  Saleh's  assistance. 
Ingersoll  was  telling  the  men  off  for  the  prompt 
porterage  of  the  booty  they  were  so  shortly  to  broach. 

Lamp  in  hand,  Tommy  counted  carefully  the  great 
wine-casks  ranged  on  trestles  in  equal  ranks,  from 
wall  to  wall  of  the  square  cellar. 

"  How  many  do  you  make,  Saleh  ?  "  he  asked 
anxiously,  and  she  looked  puzzled  as  she  replied,  "  I 
thought  I  had  counted  thirteen,  but  —  there  should 
be  only  eleven.  Moreno's  mark's  on  the  sixth  from 
that  end." 

"  And  the  fifth  from  this  end,"  said  he.  "  It's 
very  awkward,  but  —  patience !  We'll  find  the  right 
one  in  time,  if  we  have  to  empty  them  all.  I  fancy 
we're  safe  enough  here  for  the  night,  and — " 

A  dull,  distant  thud  was  audible  from  overhead 
and  they  looked  with  dilated  eyes  at  each  other. 

"  Someone's  coming  this  way,"  Saleh  whispered 
269 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

through  compressed  lips.  "  That  was  a  door  shut- 
ting." 

"  Get  the  trap  shut,  O.  K.,"  Tommy  hissed.  "  Set 
the  table  over  it  first  and  draw  the  rug  right  as  you 
let  it  down. 

'  There  may  be  a  watchman  on  the  premises  after 
all,"  he  suggested  to  Saleh,  "  and,  anyhow,  we'd 
better  lie  low  here  till  we  know  who  it  is,  don't  you 
think.  Take  cover  behind  a  cask,  and  I'll  get  the 
men  stowed  away  out  of  sight  where  they'll  be  best 
able  to  take  charge  of  any  intruders." 

Another  door  clanged  to  and  yet  another,  each 
nearer  than  that  before,  while  Ingersoll  was  coolly 
carrying  out  the  instructions  he  had  received.  When 
he  and  Tim  Finucane  at  length  let  the  trap  gently 
down  above  them,  while  the  mat  which  was  to  cover 
it  settled  smoothly  into  place,  he  felt  sure  that 
no  one  in  the  room  above  would  notice  that  it  had 
been  lately  standing  open.  Tim  Finucane  concealed 
himself  somewhere  about  the  foot  of  the  steps,  while 
Tommy  drew  Ingersoll  into  hiding  beside  himself. 

"  Don't  move  so  much  as  an  eyelid  till  you  get  the 
word !  "  he  whispered  to  his  invisible  men,  and,  hav- 
ing made  sure  that  he  had  matches  ready  at  hand, 
blew  out  his  light. 

They  could  hear  firm,  hasty  footsteps  not  far  off 
now.  The  door  of  the  room  above  was  speedily 
opened  and  left  to  swing  back  to  the  lock  on  its 
springs.  The  footsteps  approached  the  trap-door, 

270 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

The  table  was  pulled  away,  and  the  rough  rug  kicked 
swishing  to  one  side.  The  scrape  and  splutter  of  a 
struck  match  came  plainly  to  the  ears  of  those  be- 
low. The  footsteps  turned  back  and  forward. 
They  were  those  of  only  one  man. 

"  We'll  let  him  alone  when  he  comes  down," 
Tommy  breathed  in  Ingersoll's  ear,  "  till  we  find 
out  what  he's  after." 

The  trap-door  lifted  and  a  long  shaft  of  light 
streamed  into  the  cellar.  He  could  see  indistinctly 
someone  on  the  floor  above,  head  cocked  to  one  side, 
listening;  and  he  earnestly  hoped  that  his  own  almost 
inaudible  murmur  had  not  penetrated  so  far. 

A  pair  of  highly  varnished  riding-boots  appeared 
on  the  top  step,  and,  as  these  descended  carefully, 
there  came  into  view  the  rest  of  a  cavalry  uniform, 
brave  with  gold-lace  and  bearing  the  insignia  of  the 
highest  rank.  Its  wearer  had  discarded  spurs  and 
sword  and  sabretasche,  and  carried  only  a  lighted 
candle. 

He  was  a  man  of  rather  more  than  medium 
height  and  squarely  muscular  in  build.  A  black 
beard  and  moustache  concealed  the  lower  part  of 
his  face,  but  his  whole  aspect,  even  in  such  circum- 
stance, was  that  of  one  accustomed  to  command,  ex- 
pecting prompt  obedience. 

"  That's  President  Casado,"  Tommy  Judson  as- 
sured himself,  and  President  Casado  halted,  holding 
up  his  light,  to  peer  suspiciously  about  him. 

271 


CHAPTER  XX 

A  CASE  OF  CHAMPAGNE 

HIS  EXCELLENCY  the  President  had  not 
been  idle  since  the  Portuguese  admiral,  on 
the  quarterdeck  of  the  Olive  Branch,  had 
stamped  away  in  a  passion  and  left  him  to  his  own 
devices.     He   promptly    dismissed    from   his  mind, 
for  the  moment,  the  dire  affront  offered  him  by  the 
angry  sailor,  and  fell  to  pacing  the  deck  again,  his 
brain  busy  with  expedients  for  the  safe  transport  to 
the  Olive  Branch  of  the  treasure  in  the  vault  at  his 
villa. 

Of  the  three  men  he  had  left  there,  to  die  by  inches 
among  his  millions,  he  took  no  more  thought  at  all. 
They  had  sought  to  outwit  him,  and  —  they  had 
failed.  With  them  he  had  closed  his  account. 

He  would,  of  course,  in  due  time  invent  a  plausi- 
ble explanation  of  the  fate  that  had  befallen  them, 
but  there  would  be  time  enough  for  this  before  their 
corpses  were  discovered  by  whomsoever  he  might 
delegate  to  empty  the  vault  and  bring  its  other 
contents  on,  board :  a  matter  which  he  could  not  now 

272 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

superintend  in  person,  since  the  Portuguese  admiral 
held  him  practically  a  prisoner. 

"  I  have  no  option,"  he  muttered  at  length,  pull- 
ing perplexedly  at  his  trim  beard.  "  I  must  trust 
that  presumptuous  fellow,  Yoxall.  He's  honest,  I 
think,  although,  if  he  be,  I  don't  know  what  he's 
doing  on  such  a  ship  as  this.  But  —  yes,  he's 
honest,  and  —  he  can  control  his  men.  I'll  send  him 
ashore  with  a  boat's  crew  to  bring  off  the  boxes  as 
soon  as  it's  dark. 

"If  I  could  only  have  depended  on  Waples  — 
But,  then,  I  can't.  And  the  Scarlett's  —  are  far  too 
scrupulous  for  such  work.  I  have  no  option  at  all." 

He  was  still  considering  carefully  each  step  he 
must  take  to  ensure  the  success  of  this  not  altogether 
safe  remedy  for  the  very  dangerous  dilemma  in  which 
he  found  himself,  when  the  despatch-boat  the  Portu- 
guese admiral  had  promised  him  came  foaming  across 
from  the  flag-ship.  The  officer  in  charge  reported 
himself  at  His  Excellency's  orders.  And,  a  moment 
later,  Reuben  Yoxall  reappeared,  very  red  in  the 
face  and  angry:  he  had  just  received  the  admiral's 
intimation  that  the  Olive  Branch  would  be  sunk  by 
the  Sao  Joao  if  she  should  offer  to  slip  her  moorings 
or  lower  a  boat  of  her  own. 

The  thoroughness  of  his  enemy's  methods  was  no 
less  provoking  to  the  President,  whose  newest  project 
was  thus  rendered  null  and  void,  He  heard  the 

?73 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Sao  Jodo's  picket-boats  piped  away,  saw  them  set 
afloat  to  imprison  him  more  securely.  Within  that 
cordon  he  was  altogether  impotent,  and  —  he  had 
only  a  few  hours  left  in  which  to  recover  the  fruits  of 
his  labors  throughout  many  long,  troublous  years. 

He  received,  however,  with  bland  condescension 
the  sub-lieutenant  in  charge  of  the  despatch-boat,  and 
soothed  the  irate  Reuben  Yoxall  with  tranquil,  tol- 
erant explanations;  for  he  had  already  the  germ 
of  another  stratagem  in  his  mind,  a  stratagem  that 
appealed  the  more  strongly  to  him  since  it  was  so 
sheerly  ironic. 

"  I  have  no  orders  for  you  at  the  moment,"  he 
told  the  Portuguese  officer,  and,  linking  an  arm  con- 
fidentially in  one  of  the  mate's,  led  Reuben  Yoxall 
across  the  deck. 

"  Think  no  more  of  the  admiral's  insolence,"  he 
advised,  and  his  tone  was  one  of  grave  sympathy. 
"  We  have  matters  of  much  more  importance  to 
occupy  us,  Mr.  Yoxall,  and,  since  I  have  chartered 
the  Oliv e  Branch,  I  feel  sure  that  I  may  depend  on 
you  to  set  all  personal  feeling  aside  and  attend  solely 
to  my  interests." 

"  What  is  it  you  want  me  to  do?  "  Reuben  Yoxall 
demanded  bluntly,  and  Casado  deemed  it  but  politic 
to  be  equally  abrupt.  He  was  no  bad  judge  of  men. 

"  We  must  get  our  lading  on  board,  and  to-night," 
said  he,  "  in  spite  of  the  Portuguese.  I  had  intended, 

274 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

as  I  told  you,  to  use  one  of  the  ship's  boats  for  that 
purpose.  It  would  be  idle  to  think  of  doing  so  now, 
but  —  I  think  I  can  arrange  with  the  admiral  to  have 
it  brought  off  from  the  villa  —  in  his  own  boats  if 
necessary." 

He  was  watching  the  mate's  face  closely,  but 
noticed  no  trace  of  surprise  or  even  interest  in  it. 

"  It  must  be  securely  stowed  as  it  comes  on  board," 
he  continued. 

"  I'll  see  to  that,"  Reuben  Yoxall  assured  him. 

"  Then,  as  soon  as  it's  under  hatches,  we'll  put  to 
sea,  in  the  dark.  We'll  have  to  run  the  blockade, 
of  course,  but  —  we  can  depend  on  the  Olive  Branch 
to  show  those  war-ships  a  clean  pair  of  heels !  And 
she  can  more  than  hold  her  own  against  them  in 
gunnery.  Altogether,  I  think,  you  should  earn  your 
percentage  pretty  easily,  Mr.  Yoxall.  I'll  hand  you 
twenty  thousand  American  dollars  as  soon  as  we 
sight  the  coast  of  Europe." 

"  You  get  your  freight  brought  on  board  and  I'll 
attend  to  the  rest,"  said  the  mate.  He  had  no 
expectation  of  ever  receiving  the  over-lavish  reward 
Casado  was  so  ready  to  promise,  but,  just  for  a  mo- 
ment, he  thought  how  much  it  would  mean  to  him 
to  be  financially  independent.  And,  in  his  own  mind, 
he  saw  Saleh  again,  Saleh,  wilful,  imperious,  with 
her  bewitching  smile  —  that  smile  which  had  first 
brought  him  on  board  the  Olive  Branch,  against  his 

275 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

own  btter  judgment,  the  memory  of  which  still  held 
him  there  that  haply  he  should  yet  hear  news  of  her, 
news  he  might  miss  if  he  threw  up  his  post.  He 
spoke  less  brusquely  to  the  President. 

"  I'll  do  the  best  I  can  to  carry  out  all  your  wishes, 
sir.  And  as  for  that  bumptious  Dago's  tin-kettle 
blockade  —  trust  me.  He'll  get  the  surprise  of  his 
life  as  soon  as  you're  ready  to  start." 

Casado  was  overjoyed  by  his  change  of  tone. 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Yoxall,"  said  he,  in  his  most 
impressive  voice.  "  IVe  taken  you  into  my  confi- 
dence. I  trust  you  entirely.  And  now  I  must  be 
off  to  attend  to  my  own  part  of  our  programme. 
You'll  keep  your  men  quiet  below  in  the  meantime, 
and  —  tell  them  they'll  be  on  blue  water  again  by 
this  time  to-morrow,  with  their  pockets  full,  if  they 
behave  as  they  ought." 

"  I'll  see  that  they  behave  as  they  ought,"  the  mate 
in  turn  promised  grimly,  and  therewith  His  Excel- 
lency, well  satisfied,  descended  to  the  saloon,  where 
he  applied  himself  to  the  composition  of  a  polite  let- 
ter to  the  Portuguese  admiral. 

In  this  he  apologized  handsomely  for  all  past  mis- 
understandings, and  deprecated  any  further  dissen- 
sion. It  was  his  earnest  desire,  he  said,  to  promote 
a  peaceful  settlement  of  most  questions,  and,  to  prove 
this,  he  was  prepared  to  make  a  prompt  financial 
proposal  to  the  admiral  in  person.  He  therefore 

276 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ventured  to  ask  that  the  admiral  would  revisit  him 
without  delay,  and  subscribed  himself  the  admiral's 
most  assiduous  and  attentive  servant. 

Having  read  the  effusion  over,  and  deleted  the 
word  "  financial  "  as  scarcely  politic,  he  copied  it  out 
again  and  took  it  on  deck,  where  he  entrusted  it  to 
the  officer  in  charge  of  the  despatch-boat,  with  a 
pleasant  word  or  two  and  a  gracious  smile;  so  that 
the  Portuguese  sub-lieutenant  made  good  speed  on  his 
way  to  the  flagship,  although  he  did  not  return  for 
some  little  time. 

Casado,  waiting  about  on  deck,  observed  Reuben 
Yoxall  at  the  signal-halliards  with  the  two  girls  close 
at  hand,  and  watched  with  idle  interest  the  exchange 
of  signals  between  the  Olive  Branch  and  the  strange 
steamer  outside,  already  on  its  way  elsewhere. 

"  What  ship's  that?  "  he  asked,  as  the  mate  strode 
past  him,  scowling.  The  good  Reuben  had  just  im- 
parted to  Eileen  Saxilby  the  irritatingly  ambiguous 
answer  he  had  received  to  his  inquiry.  It  was  the 
newcomer's  name  and  official  number,  not  its  assist- 
ance, he  had  desired.  And  there  were  too  many 
ambiguities  in  the  air  already  to  suit  a  simple  seaman. 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  replied  curtly  to  the  Presi- 
dent's question,  and  went  on  his  way  to  cross- 
tion  the  ex-captain  of  the  Calixte  as  to  the  almost 
inconceivable  possibility  of  that  vessel's  still  being 
afloat. 

277 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Another  boat  came  racing  across  from  the  flag- 
ship and  an  angry  Portuguese  officer  abolished  the 
signal  halliards  entirely.  The  mate  was  still  below. 
The  two  girls  had  disappeared  again,  and  Casado 
smiled  indifferently  to  himself  over  that  belated  pre- 
caution. The  other  steamer  was  out  of  sight,  be- 
hind the  bluff  below  Bella  Vista.  And  he  could  see 
the  despatch-boat,  on  its  way  back  to  the  Olive 
Branch.  It  brought  him  word  that  the  admiral 
would  follow  within  five  minutes,  and  he  smiled 
again,  covertly. 

The  admiral  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  him 
Casado  received  with  a  serious  courtesy  that  im- 
pressed him  much  more  favorably  than  had  the 
President's  previous  consequential  attitude;  so  that 
he  did  not  demur  when  he  was  invited  to  shelter  him- 
self from  the  sun  in  the  midship  saloon,  while  they 
should  be  discussing  their  mutual  interests.  There 
His  Excellency  provided  a  bottle  of  champagne  on 
ice,  and  offered  the  admiral  a  cigar.  They  lighted 
up,  regarding  each  other  in  more  friendly  fashion, 
and  then  Casado  broached  his  surprising  proposal. 

He  had  been  thinking  matters  over,  he  said,  and 
had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  would  best  serve 
the  interests  of  his  country  by  admitting  without 
further  argument  the  greater  part  of  Portugal's 
claim  against  Nicazuela.  And  he  felt  sure  that  the 
admiral,  on  the  other  hand,  would  not  deny  him  the 

278 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

boon  of  arbitration  as  to  the  remainder,  which  aggre- 
gated no  great  amount.     The  admiral  nodded. 

That  being  agreed,  then,  His  Excellency  continued, 
refilling  his  visitor's  glass,  he  thought  he  could  at  last 
see  his  way  to  make  an  immediate  and  material  pay- 
ment toward  the  total  of  the  liabilities  thus  definitely 
acknowledged.  In  order  to  do  so,  indeed,  he  only 
needed  the  admiral's  endorsement  of  the  measure  he 
had  now  mapped  out  to  that  end. 

"  Nicazuela,"  said  His  Excellency  very  gravely, 
"  is  a  republic.  The  voice  of  the  people  is  para- 
mount in  all  its  affairs,  domestic  or  foreign.  I  my- 
self am  merely  a  figurehead,  of  strictly  limited 
powers. 

'  The  voice  of  the  people  is  loud  and  unanimous 
against  any  compromise  with  your  country.  I  stand 
alone  in  my  amicable  intentions,  in  my  wish  for  peace 
with  honor.  The  people  clamor  for  war. 

"  But,  for  their  ultimate  good,  I  must  act  as  my 
conscience  dictates.  I  have,  very  fortunately,  re- 
membered that  I  have  the  means  to  do  so.  After- 
ward I  may  be  sacrificed  to  appease  the  popular  out- 
cry, but,  if  I  die  a  martyr  to  duty,  they  will  later 
learn  to  bless  me  for  my  wise  foresight.  And,  for 
these  reasons,  I  must  act  with  seeming  stealth. 

"  I  an  an  ex-officio  president  of  the  Banco  de 
Nicazuela,  and  I  hold  the  key  to  its  safely  secreted 
gold  reserve.  If  you  will  lend  me  your  assistance  to 

279 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

bring  that  on  board  the  Olive  Branch  to-night  after 
dark,  I  shall  make  payment  to  you  to-morrow  fore- 
noon of  whatever  sum  it  may  represent." 

The  admiral  emptied  his  glass  again,  and  sat  sunk 
in  reflection.  Casado  pushed  the  bottle  over  toward 
him,  and  puffed  at  his  own  cigar. 

"  I'll  take  the  money  straight  to  my  own  ship  from 
shore,"  the  sailor  remarked  abruptly,  and  helped 
himself  to  champagne. 

"  Don't  make  it  any  harder  for  me  to  face  my  mis- 
guided fellow-countrymen  afterward,"  the  President 
urged  in  a  grieved  voice.  "  They  would  brand  me 
as  poltroon  and  traitor  were  I  to  consent  to  that 
course,  and  —  they  would  be  justified.  I  cannot 
treat  with  you  ashore,  in  the  midst  of  them,  for  the 
reasons  stated.  I  will  not  have  it  said  that  under  the 
flag  of  the  enemy,  I  suffered  myself  to  be  frightened 
into  betraying  my  trust.  No !  It  must  be  here,  on 
neutral  ground,  and  of  my  own  free  will,  that  I  pay 
you  the  price  of  peace  with  honor." 

Again  the  Portuguese  admiral  paused  to  reflect. 
He  was  inwardly  congratulating  himself  on  having 
at  last  brought  the  President  to  an  understanding  of 
his  position.  He  was  beginning  to  see  his  own  way 
out  of  a  most  comfortless  quandary.  He  would  win 
credit  and  renown,  once  he  should  reach  the  Tagus 
with  his  strong-room  full  of  gold.  A  pleasant  sense 
of  elation  inclined  him  to  temper  justice  with  mercy. 

280 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

In  his  own  hour  of  triumph  he  need  not  press  the 
vanquished  too  hard.  And,  since  he  had  the  Olive 
Branch  also  helpless  under  his  heel,  he  could  afford  to 
humor  this  sensitive  South  American  patriot. 

"  Very  well,"  he  agreed.  "  So  be  it.  I  must  of 
course  take  such  precautions  as  may  seem  to  me  need- 
ful, but  otherwise  I  am  ready  to  meet  your  wishes. 
What  assistance  will  you  require  to  bring  the  bullion 
on  board?  " 

"  A  single  boat's  crew.  And  I  must  go  with  them. 
If  you  yourself  will  accompany  me,  I  shall  esteem  it 
a  favor.  Let  me  show  you  some  slight  hospitality 
while  the  boxes  are  being  embarked.  Why  should 
we  not  dine  together  ashore,  at  my  villa?  where 
the  gold  is  stored.  Say  at  nine  o'clock !  My  daugh- 
ter will  be  of  the  party,  and  she  will  be  delighted  to 
meet  a  gentleman  so  accomplished." 

The  Portuguese  admiral  hesitated  —  he  was  very 
much  addicted  to  feminine  society  —  and  was  lost. 
It  might  be  a  little  rash  on  his  part  to  accept  any 
such  invitation,  but  — 

"  You  honor  me,"  he  answered  with  a  courtly  bow, 
his  self-esteem  in  no  wise  impaired  by  the  President's 
florid  compliment.  "  I  shall  attend  you  punctually. 
This  is  very  excellent  wine !  " 

'  Yes,  quite  good,"  His  Excellency  assented.  "  I 
am  the  more  pleased  that  it  suits  your  taste  because 
you  will  find  a  case  awaiting  you  on  your  flag-ship. 

281 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

And,  until  then,  there  is  no  lack  of  it  here. — 
Steward!" 

Another  bottle  was  promptly  brought,  and  over 
that  they  fraternized  for  another  hour.  When  the 
admiral  did  at  length  return  to  his  fleet,  he  had 
formed  a  much  more  pleasant  opinion  of  President 
Casado,  and  was  a  little  inclined  to  repent  himself 
of  his  former  harshness.  Casado  had  also  told  him 
how  the  untenanted  villa  stood  fenced  against  all 
intrusion  from  landward,  and  he  had  no  qualms  of 
conscience  now  as  to  the  wisdom  of  the  course  he  had 
agreed  to  adopt.  On  the  contrary,  he  had  made  up 
his  mind  that  to-morrow,  after  all  those  trouble- 
some international  questions  should  have  been  satis- 
factorily adjusted,  he  would  entertain  His  Excel- 
lency, and  His  Excellency's  enchanting  daughter,  of 
whom  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  as  he  was  leaving  the 
Olive  Branch,  to  the  most  sumptuous  luncheon  pos- 
sible on  his  flag-ship. 

Casado  called  the  Dona  Carmen  across  the  deck 
as  soon  as  his  guest  had  gone,  and  she,  leaving 
Eileen  Saxilby  in  the  shade  of  the  chart-house,  hur- 
ried toward  him. 

"  We  go  ashore  again  this  evening  at  eight,"  he 
told  her,  and  her  eyes  sparkled.  "  But,  listen, 
querida!  It  may  be  for  the  last  time.  I  have  at 
last  made  up  my  mind  to  resign  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment, and  —  if  all  goes  well,  we  shall  be  on  our  way 

282 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

to  Europe  soon  after  midnight.  It  will  be  very 
pleasant  to  see  Paris,  eh?" 

But  the  gladness  in  her  eyes  had  died,  and  their 
lids  drooped.  He  looked  vexedly  into  her  downcast 
face. 

"  You  must  be  brave,  ninita!  "  he  said.  "  You 
must  help  me  to  be  brave.  And  listen  yet!  The 
Portuguese  admiral  dines  with  us  at  the  villa  to- 
night. You  are  to  act  as  hostess.  Bid  whom  you 
will  to  the  party,  except  from  the  town." 

She  glanced  up  at  him,  less  disconsolate. 

"  The  servants  all  went  away  with  Ulick  Scar- 
lett," she  murmured,  blushing.  "  You'll  have  to 
send  for  them.  Might  not  he  come,  too?  " 

"  Most  assuredly,"  he  returned,  "  and  —  you 
know  that  I'm  well  disposed  toward  Ulick,  Carmen. 
Once  we  are  settled  in  Paris,  I  may  perhaps  be  able 
to  do  something  for  him,  if  he  comes  across  —  in  a 
year,  perhaps,  after  you  have  seen  more  of  the  world. 
We  shall  be  in  a  much  less  difficult  position  there 
than  here,  where  our  fellow-countrymen  are  all  con- 
sumed with  jealousy  of  our  foreign  friends.  He  shall 
dine  with  us  to-night,  and  —  is  there  anyone  else  ?  " 

"  The  Senorita  Saxilby,  father.  You  promised 
her  your  protection,  and  —  she  begs  that  you  will 
not  leave  her  on  board  this  ship." 

"  Tell  her  to  be  ready  by  eight,  then,  and  she  shall 
go  with  us,  if  Mr.  Yoxall  does  not  object,"  the  Presi- 

283 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

dent  answered,  and  looked  fondly  after  his  handsome 
daughter  as  she,  quite  happy  again  in  the  present, 
left  him  in  haste  to  assuage  the  added  suspense  her 
new  friend  had  been  suffering  since  the  mate  had 
translated  to  them  the  Calixte's  mysterious  signal; 
for  Eileen,  knowing  nothing  of  what  had  happened, 
was  almost  afraid  to  hope. 

The  Portuguese  admiral  came  alongside  the  Olive 
Branch  punctually  at  eight,  in  his  steam  pinnace, 
with  a  picked  crew  all  fully  armed.  He  had  already 
broached  the  case  of  champagne  President  Casado 
had  sent  him,  but  his  native  caution  was  in  no  sense 
obscured  by  the  bumpers  he  had  consumed.  He  was, 
on  the  contrary,  keenly  alive  to  all  that  was  going  on, 
very  wide  awake,  at  his  most  brilliant. 

He  had  left  explicit  instructions  with  his  second  in 
command  as  to  the  conduct  of  affairs  in  his  absence. 
He  had  with  him  a  force  sufficient  to  cope  with  any 
contingency.  He  had  arranged  for  a  rescue-party 
to  follow  him  to  the  villa  in  case  he  should  fail  to 
return  to  his  fleet  in  due  course.  There  was,  in  short, 
no  detail  so  trifling  that  it  had  escaped  his  attention, 
and,  every  eventuality  thus  provided  for,  he  was 
much  disposed  to  enjoy  himself  in  the  meantime. 

He  helped  Eileen  Saxilby  and  the  Dona  Carmen 
into  the  pinnace,  with  a  captivating  smile,  received 
President  Casado  no  less  cordially,  and  gave  the 
order  to  bear  away  for  the  landing-place  at  the  mouth 

284 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

of  the  stream  on  which  his  host's  villa  stood,  in  a  tone 
so  dulcet  that  his  men  nudged  each  other  surprisedly. 

The  steam  pinnace  did  not  travel  along  the  lane  of 
the  flag-ship's  search-light,  lying  athwart  the  villa, 
but  down  one  side  of  it,  in  the  darkness;  for  the 
Portuguese  admiral  and  President  Casado  were  on 
their  way  to  do  good  by  stealth,  and  did  not  desire 
that  anyone  else  should  be  party  to  their  proceedings. 
As  soon  as  they  reached  the  landing-place,  the 
admiral  sent  an  orderly  off  in  a  hurry  with  a  written 
message  from  the  President  to  Ulick  Scarlett,  which 
he  had  first  read,  at  His  Excellency's  request.  This 
merely  said:  "  Bring  my  cook  and  three  table-serv- 
ants to  the  villa,  at  a  gallop.  Your  troop  will  stand 
fast  where  it  is,  and  keep  the  road  always  closed." 

Then  they  went  on  at  a  leisurely  pace  toward  the 
squat,  white  building  that  stood  out  so  conspicu- 
ously in  the  long,  steady  shaft  of  light  which 
stretched  from  the  flag-ship  to  the  mountain-face. 
The  admiral  offered  the  Dona  Carmen  his  arm,  and 
her  father  escorted  Eileen.  Two  men  of  the  crew 
stayed  behind  to  look  after  the  pinnace.  Of  the  rest, 
a  few  marched  ahead  of  the  admiral  to  make  his 
pathway  clear,  and  their  fellows  followed  the  Presi- 
dent, very  closely.  But  His  Excellency  took  no  no- 
tice of  them.  He  was  chatting  affably  with  Eileen, 
interesting  himself  in  her  welfare  as  if  he  had  not 
a  care  of  his  own  in  the  world. 

285 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

When  Ulick  Scarlett  came  galloping  up  to  the 
gates  with  his  motley  command,  he  was  vastly  sur- 
prised to  see  the  Portuguese  sentries  there.  But  the 
President  in  person  received  him,  and,  having  sent 
the  servants  scurrying  indoors  to  their  urgent  duties, 
presented  him  to  the  admiral  with  a  few  flattering 
words.  As  soon  as  the  spacious  drawing-rooms  had 
been  lighted,  they  three  adjourned  thither,  and  there 
the  two  girls  presently  rejoined  them,  more  winsome 
still  in  cool  evening-gowns.  The  Dona  Carmen's 
face  flushed  a  little  at  sight  of  the  young  officer. 
Eileen's  eyes  were  alight  with  expectation;  for  the 
admiral  had  been  telling  the  Dona  Carmen,  and  she 
in  turn  had  just  told  her  friend,  about  the  unaccount- 
able trio  he  had  met  that  afternoon  on  the  strange 
steamer  outside.  The  admiral  was  enraptured  with 
both,  and  Casado,  keenly  observant,  saw  his  oppor- 
tunity. 

"  If  you  will  give  me  leave,"  he  whispered  to  the 
smiling  sailor,  "  I'll  see  to  the  opening  of  the  vault 
at  once.  Then,  while  we  are  at  dinner,  your  men 
can  be  carrying — " 

"  By  all  means,"  answered  the  admiral,  very  gra- 
ciously, content  that  no  ill  could  result  since  he  had 
instructed  his  men  that  no  one  should  now  be  allowed 
to  enter  or  leave  the  villa.  "  I  shall  be  perfectly 
happy  here  until  you  return."  And  he  turned  to 
Eileen  with  a  self-important  smirk,  while  the  Presi- 

286 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

dent,  on  his  way  to  the  door,  shot  a  swift,  meaning 
glance  at  the  Dona  Carmen. 

Casado  smiled  sardonically  as  he  let  himself 
through  into  the  dark  inner  patio  and  closed  both  its 
heavy  gates  very  quietly  behind  him.  He  had  ob- 
served the  servants  breathlessly  busy  in  the  dining- 
room,  could  hear  the  cook  scuttling  to  and  fro  in 
the  kitchen.  The  idea  of  the  dinner  had  surely  been 
a  master-stroke!  All  the  details  of  his  ultimate 
stratagem,  so  sheerly  ironic  in  its  hardihood,  were 
working  out  to  admiration.  He  could  foresee  no 
possible  hitch  now  and  was  entirely  assured  of  suc- 
cess. 

He  paused  before  the  low  doorway  in  its  dark 
corner,  and  having  carefully  set  the  switch  that 
served  to  disconnect  the  electric  alarm  within,  en- 
tered the  range  of  rooms  which  led  to  his  last  re- 
treat. He  needed  no  light  to  find  his  way,  but 
crossed  from  door  to  door  with  assured  tread  until 
at  length  the  lamp  he  had  left  burning  beyond  the 
inmost  shone  out  on  him. 

It  was  his  present  object  to  dispose  of  the  three 
bodies  in  the  vault  beneath  the  cellar,  and  —  he  knew 
that  would  not  be  a  pleasant  task.  But  it  was  one 
he  could  not  shirk,  and,  after  all,  it  would  not  take 
him  long  to  drag  them  up,  toss  them  to  one  side,  out 
of  sight,  among  the  wine-casks.  He  did  not  wait 
to  think  it  over,  but  pulled  the  table  from  above  the 

287 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

trap-door,  kicked  the  coir  mat  across  the  room,  and 
turned  to  get  a  candle  from  the  cupboard.  With 
this  in  one  hand  he  lifted  the  hatch,  and,  hesitating 
for  a  moment,  looked  down  into  the  darkness. 

But  time  pressed,  and,  no  matter  how  uninviting 
the  prospect  before  him,  he  could  not  afford  to  in- 
dulge in  any  delay.  He  descended,  a  little  slowly  and 
in  the  eerie  gloom  below  he  halted  again,  and  glanced 
about  him.  The  blackness  was  almost  blinding  after 
the  glare  above.  Then  he  made  his  way  to  a  niche 
in  the  wall  behind  the  outermost  row  of  casks  and 
lifted  the  lever  within  it.  He  turned  off  the  tap 
of  the  inlet  hydrant,  and  crossed  to  the  cask  whose 
trestles  stood  upon  the  steel-clad  cover  of  the  open- 
ing through  which  alone  the  vault  might  be  entered 
or  left.  He  set  his  candle  down  and  lifted  the  cask 
away.  As  he  stooped  to  remove  its  cradle  he  heard 
something  creak  behind  him,  and  started  upright, 
glaring,  his  lips  drawn  back  from  his  teeth. 

For  a  time  he  listened  intently,  and  then  "  Alma  de 
dlos!  "  he  swore,  breathing  heavily.  "  I  am  surely 
grown  an  old  woman  that  I  must  imagine  sounds 
I  where  none  are."  And,  stooping  again,  he  pushed 
the  trestle  off  the  trap-door.  Its  bolts  were  securely 
shot,  as  he  had  left  them.  He  drew  one  back,  but 
lingered  over  the  other. 

"  I  have  five  minutes  to  spare,'*  said  he,  and  his 
voice  struck  strangely  upon  the  tomb-like  silence. 

288 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  rose,  and  returned  to  the  room  above.  The 
pop  of  a  cork  was  audible  m  the  cellar,  and  then  the 
hissing  gurgle  of  heady  liquor  hastily  poured. 

He  came  down  the  steps  again,  more  confidently, 
drawing  the  back  of  his  disengaged  hand  across  his 
moustache. 

"  Now  I  feel  more  fit  to  face  my  three  ghosts !  " 
said  he,  and,  loosening  the  last  bolt,  lifted  the  trap- 
door. 


'289 


CHAPTER  XXI 

NEMESIS 

GASADO  lifted  the  trap-door  and  set  it  care- 
fully back  on  its  hinges.     He  peered  dis- 
tastefully into  the  vault,   and   his   nostrils 
curled   against   the   chill,    dank  odor   that   had   as- 
sailed them.     He  waited,  to  look  at  the  watch  on 
his   wrist.     The   time   was   twenty-five   minutes   to 
nine. 

Glancing  downward  as  he  descended,  he  could  see 
the  stone-flagged  floor,  wet,  glistening  in  the  glim- 
mer of  his  inadequate  light.  The  vault  was  already 
empty  of  water.  He  went  forward  doggedly,  hold- 
ing his  candle  above  his  head,  treading  delicately  lest 
he  should  stumble  over  —  anything. 

Reaching  the  grated  outlet-sluice  at  which  he  had 
expected  to  find  what  he  was  in  search  of,  he  stooped 
over  it,  thrusting  his  light  hither  and  thither,  with- 
out result.  A  quick  sensation  of  fear  filled  his  heart, 
and  his  face  turned  white,  instantaneously.  Still 
stooping,  his  eyes  dilated  by  an  unspeakable  dread, 
his  attitude  beastlike,  he  looked  very  slowly  round 
Behind  him,  over  his  shoulder. 

290 


There  was  a  man  sitting  on  the  steps  which  led  to 
the  cellar  above,  a  man  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  a  white- 
haired,  weak-eyed,  unctuous-looking  old  fellow  with 
a  smooth,  flat  face,  shaven  but  for  a  fringe  of  whisker 
and  distorted  then  by  a  dog-toothed,  ferocious  grin. 
He  was  holding  close  to  his  chin  a  cocked  revolver, 
pointed,  straight  and  steadily,  at  the  President's  back. 
On  either  side  of  him  there  was  dimly  visible  another 
face,  one  cruel,  mocking,  malevolent  beyond  words, 
its  neighbor  gray,  agonized,  ghastly,  the  mask  of  a 
mind  very  nearly  unhinged  by  horror. 

"  Stand  up,  Casado,"  said  a  harsh  voice,  "  and 
you'd  better  not  drop  that  candle  unless  you  want 
to  die  in  the  dark!  " 

The  figure  stooping  above  the  grating  straight- 
ened itself,  with  a  laborious  effort. 

"  Stay  just  where  you  are,"  ordered  the  same 
voice.  "  Strike  another  light,  Gildersleeve,  and  be 
quick  about  it.  Or  —  here  —  give  me  the  candle, 
curse  you!  Now  hold  it,  till  I  take  away  Casado's 
gun." 

The  President  offered  no  resistance  to  this  pro- 
ceeding. He  was  striving  to  regain  his  grip  on  him- 
self, to  shake  off  the  visible  effect  of  that  moment  of 
cold  terror,  a  moment  which  had  left  him  sick  and 
shaking  still.  His  forehead  was  wet,  but  his  lips 
were  dry  and  shriveled.  He  tried  to  moisten  them 
with  his  tongue,  but  it  was  like  a  parched  sponge. 

291 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  signed  to  his  captors  that  he  could  not  speak, 
and,  scooping  up  a  few  drops  of  water  from  a  pool 
on  the  floor,  swallowed  them  greedily. 

"  You  startled  me,  Slyne,"  he  said  then,  in  a 
hoarse,  choked  whisper.  "  I  knew  you  were  here,  of 
course,  and  I  couldn't  understand — " 

"  How  it  happened  that  we  weren't  lying  dead 
at  the  sluice,"  Slyne  put  in,  with  an  evil  smile. 
"You  dog!  "  he  cried,  in  a  sudden  access  of  fury. 
"  You'd  have  drowned  us  like  rats  in  a  trap,  if  we 
hadn't  found  means  to  balk  you.  But  we  did,  you 
see.  Look  there!  " 

Casado  looked  up  at  the  multitudinous  fissures  in 
the  rock-face  at  the  further  end  of  the  vault,  through 
which  the  water  should  have  poured  in.  They  were 
caulked  and  stoppered  with  shreds  of  cloth,  which 
still  dripped  ominously.  And  he  recollected,  with 
bitter  self-reproach,  how  he  had  lessened  the  weight 
of  the  flood  which  would  otherwise  have  rendered 
useless  such  a  device. 

"  We've  been  working  like  rats  for  our  lives," 
said  Slyne,  "  for  God  knows  how  many  days  and 
nights.  And  I've  shown  you  how  we've  saved  them, 
so  that,  before  you  drown,  you  may  suffer  a  little 
more  than  we've  suffered.  You're  going  to  stay  here 
now,  Casado  —  and  with  your  hands  tied!  See?" 

Captain  Dove  got  up  off  the  steps  and  laughed, 
292 


rocking  to  and  fro  on  his  feet.  Eustace  Gildersleeve 
would  have  edged  past  him  and  made  his  escape 
from  that  purgatory,  but  he  pushed  the  shivering 
coward  roughly  aside. 

"Stand  back  there!"  he  snarled.  "You've 
surely  done  us  harm  enough  already,  sneaking  about 
in  the  dark ! 

"  That's  the  way  to  talk,  Slyne.  Take  my  belt 
and  truss  that  black-bearded  swine  by  the  wrists  to 
one  of  these  boxes." 

He  held  out  a  long  leather  strap  to  Slyne,  and 
Slyne  took  it  from  him.  Casado  stood  motionless 
where  he  was,  studying  their  fierce  faces  with  ap- 
prehensively cunning  eyes.  Slyne  stepped  watchfully 
toward  him,  and  he  spoke,  with  more  composure, 
making  a  final,  desperate  bid  for  his  life. 

"  You  are  over-hasty,"  he  said.  "  Reflect  for  a 
moment.  Is  it  worth  your  while  to  sacrifice  every- 
thing else  that  you  may  compass  my  death.  I  am 
not  afraid  to  die. 

"  The  position  of  affairs  has  changed  since  I  saw 
you  last,"  he  went  on  unhurriedly,  as  Slyne  paused. 
"  The  villa  is  now  in  possession  of  the  Portuguese. 
They  have  sentries  posted  all  round  it.  You  may 
possibly  get  away  yourselves  after  you've  killed  me, 
but  what's  here  you'll  have  to  leave  behind,  un- 
less—" 

293 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"Unless  what?"  demanded  Slyne  viciously. 
Some  instinct  told  him  that  Casado  was  speaking  the 
truth,  for  once. 

"  I  knew  you  were  here,  of  course,"  His  Ex- 
cellency continued,  ignoring  the  angry  question. 
"  Had  I  turned  the  water  full  on,  you  would  all  have 
drowned  at  once,  but  —  I  didn't.  I  owed  you  a 
grudge,  you  see,  but  I  meant  you  no  real  harm.  I'll 
show  you  how  the  hydrant  works,  if  you  like." 

"  Tie  him  up.  We've  no  time  to  waste,"  coun- 
seled Captain  Dove,  but  Slyne  still  hesitated. 

The  President  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  The  Portuguese  are  going  to  put  these  boxes  on 
board  the  Olive  Branch"  he  said  simply.  "  Their 
admiral  came  ashore  with  me  for  that  purpose. 
He's  waiting  dinner  above  for  me  now.  If  I  don't 
go  back  to  him  very  shortly,  he'll  send  down  to 
see  what's  happened.  If  he  finds  that  anything  has 
happened  to  me,  he'll  take  them  straight  to  his  flag- 
ship. And  that  will  be  the  last  you'll  see  of  them, 
Captain  Dove." 

He  had  spoken  with  that  quiet  assurance  which 
had  so  often  stood  him  in  good  stead.  He  was  still 
watching  their  faces  intently,  and  its  effect  soon  be- 
came apparent.  Slyne  was  plainly  interested,  and 
Captain  Dove's  virulent  expression  gave  place  to  one 
of  wrathful  surprise. 

"  On  board  the  Olive  Branch!  "  he  exclaimed  with 
294 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

a  blasphemous  oath,  and  struck  savagely  at  Eustace 
Gildersleeve,  who  had  drawn  nearer  the  ladder 
again.  That  sufferer  under  his  just  suspicion  drew 
back  with  a  weary,  despairing  groan. 

"  Speak  out,  Casado,"  said  Jasper  Slyne  with  a 
very  acid  inflection.  "  We've  no  time  to  trifle  here, 
and  you  can't  buy  your  life  from  us  with  any  cock- 
and-bull  story.  I'll  give  you  exactly  one  minute  to 
say  what  you  mean,  and,  if  that  isn't  very  well  worth 
listening  to  —  off  we  go :  while  you  stay  behind,  as 
I  told  you.  So,  get  to  the  point." 

The  President  did  not  change  countenance,  but  his 
tense  muscles  relaxed  a  little  and  his  heart  leaped  at 
this  late  relief.  None  knew  better  than  himself 
how  near  he  had  been  to  meeting  that  short  and  mer- 
ciless shrift  which  would  have  meant  a  dreadful 
death,  a  death  of  his  own  devising.  Once  more,  and 
at  the  very  last  gasp  again,  had  his  wits  sufficed  to 
win  life  at  least.  And  life  had  seemed  very  precious 
to  him  during  these  past  moments. 

His  voice  was  a  little  tremulous  as  he  began  to  re- 
late his  doings  since  the  forenoon,  but  it  grew  rapidly 
steadier  when  his  subtle  tongue,  having  told  as  much 
of  the  truth  as  he  deemed  expedient,  passed  on  to  fur- 
ther artifice.  He  explained  with  engaging  frankness 
how  he  had  tricked  first  Reuben  Yoxall  —  whom 
Captain  Dove,  listening  thunderstruck,  cursed  with 
point  and  vigor  —  and  then  the  Portuguese  admiral, 

295 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  proceeded  to  point  out  how  the  current  critical 
situation  might  yet  be  turned  to  his  captors'  advan- 
tage, and,  incidentally,  to  his  own;  while,  without 
him,  they  would  be  worse  off  than  ever.  And  the 
looks  of  exasperated  disgust  Slyne  and  Dove  ex- 
changed as  he  finished  told  him  that,  little  as  they 
might  like  the  prospect,  they  could  see  nothing  else 
for  it  but  to  take  him  into  partnership. 

That  was  grace  sufficient  for  him.  He  had  al- 
ways faith  in  the  future,  and  his  single  superstition 
was  that  he  had  been  born  under  a  lucky  star.  All 
he  asked  of  the  moment  was  that  he  might  get  his 
gold  embarked,  on  the  Olive  Branch.  That  opera- 
tion in  process,  or  even  after  it  was  completed,  he 
would  contrive  some  feasible  tour  de  force  by  means 
of  which  he  might  rid  himself  for  all  time  of  this 
piratical  trio.  He  pulled  at  the  skirts  of  his  crum- 
pled tunic,  and  smoothed  out  a  crease  on  its  chest. 

"  Five  minutes  to  nine,"  said  he  conversationally, 
glancing  again  at  the  watch  on  his  wrist.  "  Time 
for  me  to  be  getting  back  to  the  drawing-room.  My 
daughter  and  Miss  Saxilby  —  I  brought  her  ashore 
with  me,  Mr.  Gildersleeve  —  are  entertaining  the 
admiral.  But  I  promised  him  that  dinner  would  be 
at  nine  sharp. 

"  I'd  ask  you  all  to  join  us,  Slyne,  but  that  would 
only  arouse  his  suspicions.  It  is  best  that  you  should 
wait  in  the  ante-room  at  the  entrance  until  the 

296 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

boxes  are  all  carried  down  to  the  shore.  And  then, 
if  you  will  come  forward  as  we're  leaving,  I'll  in- 
troduce you.  No,  you  needn't  fear  that  I'll  try  to 
give  you  the  slip.  I'm  practically  a  prisoner  myself 
at  present,  and  I  need  your  help  now,  just  as  you 
must  have  mine.  If  we  play  each  other  false  it  will 
simply  mean  that  the  Portuguese  take  —  all  this." 

Jasper  Slyne  looked  perplexedly  at  the  bullion- 
boxes  stacked  as  high  as  the  roof,  and  even  Captain 
Dove  could  find  no  flaw  in  that  argument.  They 
four  were  interdependent  now  and  combined  against 
the  Portuguese. 

"  We'll  wait,"  said  Captain  Dove  suddenly,  "  in 
the  anteroom  at  the  entrance."  He  was  quite  sober 
and  could  see  clearly  that  there  was  no  other  recourse. 
"  You'll  bring  us  in  some  dry  clothes  and  a  bottle  of 
brandy.  While  you're  at  dinner  the  men  can  be 
taking  the  boxes  down  to  the  beach,  and  we'll  keep 
tally  as  they  pass  by.  You'll  tell  the  admiral  that 
we're  waiting  there,  and  we'll  show  up  as  you're  leav- 
ing. And  we'll  all  go  aboard  together. 

"  And,  see  here,  President  Casado !  We've  got 
you  boxed  to  rights  now.  If  you  show  the  least 
little  sign  of  running  crooked  again  —  the  Portu- 
guese scoop  the  pool !  They'll  share  it  with  us,  fast 
enough.  Mr.  Gildersleeve's  got  the  United  States 
at  his  back,  and  one-half  of  this  pile  here  will  satisfy 
that  other  son-of-a-gun. 

297 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  So  up  you  go  now,  Slyne.  There's  no  use  wait- 
ing here.  You  come  after  me,  President,  and  —  Gil- 
dersleeve!  I've  a  good  mind  to  leave  you  behind, 
since  it  was  you  and  your  damned  disobedience  of 
orders  that  got  us  into  this  mess.  Keep  back!  —  or 
I'll  put  a  bullet  into  your  useless  carcass." 

"  Let  him  be,  Dove,"  said  Slyne  indifferently,  one 
foot  on  the  slippery  steps,  while  Eustace  Gildersleeve 
was  still  pleading  piteously  with  the  evil-minded,  ma- 
lignant seaman.  Casado  had  not  yet  moved,  was 
looking  on  at  the  scene  with  contempt.  And,  while 
Captain  Dove,  heedless  of  all  else  in  his  vindictive 
desire  to  torment  his  wretched  confederate,  was  still 
pressing  him  backward  at  pistol-point,  Jasper  Slyne 
disappeared  through  the  trap-door.  The  trap-door 
fell  shut,  almost  instantly. 

Casado  remained  where  he  was,  but  trembling  as 
though  with  an  ague.  The  candle  in  one  of  his 
hands  cast  wavering  shadows  about  the  black,  drip- 
ping walls  of  the  vault.  Eustace  Gildersleeve  had 
collapsed  altogether,  lay  limply  huddled  and  moaning 
against  a  low  shelf  of  wet  varnished  boxes.  Captain 
Dove  had  turned  his  back  on  both,  but  still  menaced 
them  with  his  cocked  revolver. 

He  crept  on  tiptoe  toward  the  steps  and  up  them, 
put  his  head  against  the  hatch  at  the  top,  and  pushed. 
It  was  fast.  He  faced  about  and  sat  down  there. 
His  features  were  livid.  He  tried  to  speak,  but 

298 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

could  not.     And,  for  a  time,  they  three  kept  each 
other  company  thus,  their  faculties  almost  paralyzed. 

But  Captain  Dove  was  none  the  less  on  the  alert. 
The  trap-door  was  lifted  a  little  and  he  instantly 
thrust  the  muzzle  of  his  revolver  into  the  opening. 
He  would  have  pulled  the  trigger  too,  but  that  he 
felt  sure  Slyne  would  have  discounted  that  probabil- 
ity. The  hatch  sank  a  little  and  so  held  his  weapon 
fast. 

"  Let  go  that  gun,  and  get  away  down  the  steps," 
snapped  a  voice  that  was  not  in  the  least  like  Jasper 
Slyne's,  and  Captain  Dove,  starting  back  aghast,  had 
all  but  done  so  involuntarily.  But  he  regained  his 
grip  on  the  butt,  and  held  fast. 

"  Who  the  devil  are  you?  "  he  demanded  thickly. 

No  answer  was  vouchsafed  him,  but  he  heard  a 
muffled  whisper  above,  and,  a  moment  later,  the  plash 
of  water,  as  the  inflow  to  the  vault,  turned  full  on, 
washed  the  caulking  out  of  the  crevices  he  and  his 
friends  had  been  able  to  stop  against  the  lighter  cur- 
rent by  means  of  which  Casado  had  meant  to  drown 
them  very  slowly.  Eustace  Gildersleeve  uttered  a 
harsh  scream  of  terror.  Casado  came  across  to  the 
foot  of  the  steps  with  his  candle  and  laid  a  hand  on 
Dove's  heels. 

"  Come  down,"  he  urged,  in  a  hoarse,  unnatural 
voice.  "  Come  down,  you  madman!  What  can  you 
do  there?" 

299 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Captain  Dove  turned  and  stared  at  him  as  if  he 
had  been  a  stranger,  and  then  shuffled  down  the  steps, 
leaving  the  revolver  behind  him,  and  feeling  for  an- 
other he  had  at  his  hip.  The  first  had  disappeared 
before  he  reached  the  President's  side  and  stood 
there,  up  to  the  ankles  in  water. 

"  Up  you  come  again,"  the  voice  ordered.  "  Put 
both  your  hands  out.  You  other  two  stand  back, 
and  stay  there  till  you're  told  to  move,  or  we'll  shut 
you  all  down  for  good." 

Captain  Dove  was  tempted  almost  beyond  his 
strength  to  chance  just  a  single  shot,  but  the  rapidly 
rising  water  proved  argument  sufficient  against  any 
such  foolhardy  action.  It  was  evident  that  his  un- 
seen enemy  did  not  mean  to  be  trifled  with,  and  he 
obeyed  dumbly,  with  staring  eyes  which  yet  saw  noth- 
ing. Casado  had  already  drawn  Eustace  Gilder- 
sleeve,  whimpering  lamentably,  away  from  the  steps, 
and  held  him  in  a  firm  grip  while  Captain  Dove's 
outstretched  wrists  were  being  bound  together,  and 
that  utterly  dumbfoundered  scoundrel  in  turn  disap- 
peared bodily  through  the  trap.  Gildersleeve 
went  next,  by  command,  and  on  the  same  footing. 
The  water  was  turned  off,  and  Casado  followed,  most 
thankfully,  although  he  bit  his  lip  and  had  almost 
groaned  aloud  as  he  held  out  his  hands  to  be  secured. 

"  Blow  out  that  light,"  said  the  dictatorial  voice 
overhead,  and  he  extinguished  the  candle  standing 

300 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

on  the  top  step;  so  that,  when  he  was  lifted  into 
the  darkness  above  and  laid  alongside  the  other  three 
there,  after  his  ankles  also  had  been  trussed  together, 
he  had  not  the  faintest  notion  as  to  the  hands  into 
which  he  had  fallen.  But  he  could  hear  heavy  breath- 
ing about  him  and  knew  that  there  must  be  a  number 
of  men  in  the  cellar. 

He  would  have  spoken,  but  was  still  wondering 
confusedly  how  he  should  couch  his  question  to  obtain 
a  reply,  when  Captain  Dove  intervened. 

"  I  know  who  you  are  —  and  be  damned  to  you !  " 
the  old  man  suddenly  snarled,  straining  at  his  bonds. 
"  I  couldn't  remember  all  at  once  where  I'd  heard 
you  bark  before.  You're  the  same  identical  hoodoo 
that  Saleh  fished  out  of  the  sea.  I  know  youl 
I'll—" 

"  Clap  a  wad  of  waste  in  his  mouth,"  commanded 
the  voice,  "  and  shut  the  others  up,  too.  Sling  them 
over  there  in  the  corner,  behind  those  casks.  That's 
right.  And  now  we'll  have  to  fix  that  Portuguese 
filibuster  upstairs." 


301 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THREE   TO    ONE 

TO  the  little  company  awaiting  Casado's  re- 
turn in  the  sumptuous  drawing-room  of  the 
villa,  the  time  passed  all  too  swiftly  till 
within  a  few  minutes  of  nine.  The  Portuguese 
admiral  had  made  himself  very  comfortable  beside 
Eileen  Saxilby  within  a  convenient  alcove  at  an  inner 
corner  of  the  long  chamber:  a  move  partly  strategic, 
since  from  there  he  could  command  a  clear  view  of 
the  doorway  diagonally  opposite,  at  the  far  end  of 
the  antechamber  adjoining,  through  which  Ca- 
sado  must  reappear.  The  admiral  had  no  fear  of 
foul  play  on  the  part  of  the  President;  he  felt  quite 
safe  within  the  cordon  of  picked  sentries  posted 
about  the  villa,  but,  at  the  same  time,  he  thought 
it  wise  to  be  watchful.  He  did  not  mean  to  be 
taken  by  surprise,  in  any  shape  or  form. 

And  while  he  flirted  ponderously,  in  broken  Eng- 
lish, with  Eileen, —  whom  the  Dona  Carmen,  in  a 
hasty  aside,  had  begged  to  humor  him  and  who  was 
very  ready  to  do  all  she  might  for  such  a  good  friend 
in  need  —  he  also  kept  a  kindly  but  careful  eye  on 

302 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

the  Dona  Carmen  herself  and  Ulick  Scarlett,  seated 
together  well  within  his  range  of  observation.  They 
made  a  very  pleasing  picture,  the  young  officer  in 
his  dashing  cavalry  uniform  and  the  handsome,  lan- 
guorous, graceful  girl.  But,  at  that  moment, 
Eileen's  blond  beauty  appealed  most  strongly  to  the 
admiral,  and  he  turned  to  whisper  another  idle  com- 
pliment into  her  ear  for  the  pleasure  of  seeing  her 
shy  eyes  droop  and  the  wild-rose  blush  on  her  cheeks 
again. 

As  he  did  so,  the  Dona  Carmen,  watching  him,  un- 
observed, glanced  anxiously  at  the  clock  on  the  con- 
sole behind  her.  In  another  minute  it  would  chime 
nine.  And  she  had  seen  enough  of  the  situation  to 
understand,  among  other  things,  that  the  admiral 
must  not  be  allowed  to  become  impatient  pending 
her  father's  return.  She  rose,  while  he  was  still 
ogling  Eileen,  and  touched  an  electric  bell  close  beside 
the  clock.  He  heard  the  shrill,  distant  tinkle,  and 
emerged  from  his  alcove  instantly,  regarding  her  with 
a  glance  of  polite  inquiry. 

A  servant  appeared.  "  See  that  dinner  is  served 
in  exactly  twenty  minutes,"  she  ordered  coolly. 
"  And  meantime  bring  wine  and  cigarettes  —  for 
these  gentlemen."  Then  she  turned  toward  the 
grand  piano  at  the  other  side  of  the  room,  and,  sit- 
ting down  there,  ran  her  fingers  lightly  over  its  ivory 
keys. 

303 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"Twenty  minutes  to  nine?"  said  the  admiral, 
somewhat  surprisedly,  as  he  in  turn  glanced  at  the 
clock  —  which  she  had  in  an  instant  set  back  as  much 
as  she  dared.  He  would  no  doubt  have  pulled 
forth  the  watch  in  his  waistcoat  pocket,  but  his  tunic 
was  tightly  buttoned  and  belted  over  it,  and,  at  that 
moment,  the  Dona  Carmen  broke  into  a  Spanish 
love-song,  a  haunting  and  melodious  serenade,  in  a 
minor  key.  He  stood  for  a  little  listening,  de- 
lighted, to  her  rich  voice,  till  Ulick  Scarlett  went  over 
to  her  on  the  pretext  of  turning  a  page  of  the  music; 
when  he  himself  returned  to  Eileen  in  the  alcove, 
quite  pleased  to  spend  twenty  minutes  more  in  her 
company,  under  the  dim  rose-light  of  the  shaded 
lamp  there. 

The  servant  whom  the  Dona  Carmen  had  sum- 
moned came  again,  with  a  big  silver  salver,  laden. 
The  admiral  helped  himself,  liberally.  And  when 
soon  afterward  the  Dona  Carmen  asked  him  to  sing 
something  in  Portuguese,  he  was  inspired  to  the  ren- 
dering of  a  passionate  composition  containing  over  a 
dozen  verses,  to  a  tune  which  he  vamped  himself. 

While  he  was  at  the  piano,  Ulick  Scarlett  sat  con- 
tentedly beside  the  Dona  Carmen  and  Eileen  re- 
mained by  herself,  engrossed  in  her  own  reflections. 
She  also  was  conscious  of  some  indefinable  tension  in 
this  new  atmosphere,  but,  knowing  little  or  nothing 
of  the  plots  and  counterplots  that  had  been  born  of 

304 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

it,  was  not  greatly  concerned.  She  had,  indeed, 
grown  accustomed  to  an  atmosphere  of  tension  since 
that  fatal  afternoon  on  which  she  had  foolishly  let 
herself  be  inveigled  on  board  the  Calixte  in  New 
York  harbor,  only  a  few  hours  before  she  was  to 
have  met  and  married  Oswold  Ingersoll. 

She  knew  now  that  Eustace  Gildersleeve,  eaves- 
dropping, had  overheard  the  elopement  scheme 
Tommy  Judson  had  suggested  to  her  on  his  friend's 
behalf  at  Mrs.  Mannering's  dance ;  and  she  had  spent 
many  anguished  hours  since  that  scheme  had  so  sig- 
nally miscarried.  She  shuddered,  even  now,  at  the 
recollection  of  her  first  awakening  to  her  guardian's 
true  character.  The  remembrance  of  that  awful 
night  they  had  spent  at  sea  after  leaving  the  Calixte 
and  before  the  Olive  Branch  picked  them  up  was  still 
sufficient  to  make  her  feel  sick  and  faint.  She  closed 
her  eyes,  giddily,  and  opened  them  again  with  an  ef- 
fort. The  admiral  was  still  singing. 

She  recalled  her  first  encounter  on  board  Captain 
Dove's  infamous  vessel  with  Jasper  Slyne,  and  how 
Eustace  Gildersleeve,  at  Slyne's  instigation,  had  at 
length  confessed  to  her  his  gross  breach  of  the  trust 
her  dead  father  had  reposed  in  him,  the  fact  that  she 
was  now  practically  a  pauper:  a  crime  she  could  per- 
haps have  condoned  but  for  its  other  consequences, 
the  worst  of  which  was  the  cure  he  proposed  for  the 
plight  in  which  she  had  been  left.  If  she  would 

305 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

only  agree,  of  her  own  free  will,  to  take  Jasper  Slyne 
for  her  husband,  she  would  thus,  her  guardian  had 
told  her,  retrieve  from  the  wreck  of  the  past  not  only 
her  own  future  but  also  his.  And  he  had  implored 
her  to  help  him  in  his  dire  extremity  by  sacrificing 
herself. 

Jasper  Slyne  had  no  doubt  thought  that  she  might 
be  so  induced  to  treat  him  more  tolerantly.  On  the 
Olive  Branch  both  she  and  her  guardian  had  been 
almost  absolutely  in  his  power.  But,  though  he  had 
forced  the  latter  to  carry  out  his  every  wish,  she  her- 
self had  resolutely  refused  to  hold  any  farther  com- 
munication with  him.  She  abhorred  him  utterly, 
and  Eustace  Gildersleeve  little  less.  For  Mrs.  Man- 
nering,  their  weakly  unscrupulous  tool  in  betraying 
her,  whom  also  they  had  betrayed,  she  felt  only 
a  half-contemptuous  pity. 

As  for  herself,  she  had  suffered  in  silence 
throughout  the  voyage,  extracting  such  comfort  as 
she  could  from  the  strange  message  that  had 
reached  her  through  the  dumb  woman  Ambrizette. 
She  kept  the  curl  to  encourage  herself  in  the  hope  that 
Tommy  and  Oswold  Ingersoll  would  yet  save  her 
from  the  dreadful,  impending  fate  of  which  her 
conscienceless  guardian  had  more  than  once  hinted 
in  connection  with  Jasper  Slyne.  Mrs.  Mannering 
and  she  had  been  berthed  in  an  alleyway  by  them- 

306 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

selves,  on  the  other  side  of  the  ship  from  that  occu- 
pied by  the  rest  of  the  quarter-deck  complement,  but 
they  had  of  tacit  consent  dropped  even  the  outward 
semblance  of  friendship,  and,  dreading  she  knew  not 
what,  she  had  slept  but  little  until  her  guardian  and 
Slyne  had  gone  ashore  at  El  Puerto. 

She  had  been  almost  worn  out  with  fatigue  and 
anxiety  when  the  President  and  his  daughter  had 
come  on  board  the  Olive  Branch  in  the  roadstead, 
and  it  had  not  needed  much  sympathetic  persuasion 
to  induce  her  to  confide  as  much  as  she  might  in  the 
Dona  Carmen ;  who  had  at  once  and  most  willingly 
undertaken  to  aid  her. 

Then  had  happened  the  most  miraculous  reap- 
pearance of  the  Calixte,  and  the  signaled  message 
that  had  so  aggrieved  the  good  Reuben  Yoxall, 
which,  obscure  though  its  source  had  been,  had 
brought  such  comfort  to  her. 

And  now,  at  last,  she  was  safely  ashore,  with 
the  promise  of  full  protection  from  her  enemies. 
Her  friends  were  not  far  away.  The  contrast  be- 
tween the  spacious,  luxurious  room  in  which  she  was 
sitting  and  her  cramped  quarters  on  the  Olive  Branch, 
with  Mrs.  Mannering's  faded,  fractious  face  for 
sole  company,  was  grateful  to  her  beyond  words. 
She  knew  instinctively  that  she  could  trust  the  Doiia 
Carmen  and  Ulick  Scarlett.  His  Excellency  the 

307 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

President  was  vouched  for  by  his  own  daughter. 
And  even  the  Portuguese  Admiral,  with  all  his  for- 
eign effusion,  was  obviously  well-meaning. 

The  admiral  had  just  risen  from  the  piano  and 
was  receiving  with  ill-assumed  deprecation  the  Dona 
Carmen's  compliments  on  his  inharmonious  chant. 
Ulick  Scarlett  also  had  got  to  his  feet  and  was  sup- 
plementing these  with  equal  diplomacy,  when  Eileen, 
still  seated  in  her  alcove,  wondering  what  she  should 
say  that  might  serve  the  occasion,  heard  the  clock 
on  the  console  strike.  And  while  the  clock  was  still 
striking,  there  appeared  in  the  distant  doorway  a  fig- 
ure that  paused  on  the  threshold  as  if  to  study  the 
occupants  of  the  room. 

It  was  not  President  Casado,  nor  yet  the  servant 
who  should  have  announced  dinner,  but  a  young  girl 
in  an  evening  gown,  admirably  becoming  to  her,  a 
gown  which  the  Dona  Carmen  had  offered  Eileen 
in  their  dressing-room  not  an  hour  before.  More- 
over, something  about  her  besides  her  perfect  features 
and  figure,  and  her  faultless  attire,  held  Eileen  still 
and  silent.  She  was  manifestly  a  stranger  there  and 
somewhat  uncertain  of  her  reception.  But  she  came 
.  forward  confidently  none  the  less,  her  head  well  up, 
her  eyes,  strangely  magnetic  eyes,  fixed  on  Eileen's 
face. 

The  Dona  Carmen  caught  sight  of  her,  and  the 
admiral  turned  on  his  heel  with  a  quick  exclamation. 

308 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

She  stopped  and  they  stood  thus  for  a  tense  instant. 
Then  Ulick  Scarlett  started  toward  her  with  out- 
stretched hand,  his  features  alight,  but  —  the  admi- 
ral was  before  him.  And,  while  the  Dona  Carmen 
looked  on  in  amazement,  that  fickle  lady-killer  was 
greeting  the  fair  unknown  as  though  she  had  been 
an  invited  guest  there;  and  she  was  smiling  on  him 
quite  unembarrassed. 

She  shook  Ulick  Scarlett's  hand,  and  turned  tact- 
fully to  the  Dona  Carmen.  "  We  are  not  to  wait 
dinner  for  His  Excellency,"  she  said  with  no  less 
sang-froid,  her  eyes  meeting  those  of  the  President's 
daughter,  now  quiet,  dominant.  "  In  twenty  min- 
utes or  half  an  hour  his  boxes  will  be  all  ready  for 
your  men,"  she  explained  to  the  admiral  over  her 
shoulder,  "  and  he  will  rejoin  us  then." 

"  Dinner  is  served,  senorita,"  a  sonorous  voice 
proclaimed  from  the  doorway,  and  that  distraction 
saved  any  awkwardness.  The  Dona  Carmen  had 
to  take  for  granted  meantime  this  stranger,  who  had 
made  free  with  her  wardrobe,  yet  whose  name 
even  she  did  not  know,  although  both  the  admiral 
and  Ulick  Scarlett  appeared  to  have  met  her  before. 
Any  hesitancy  on  her  part  might  have  endangered  her 
father's  plans,  plans  as  to  which  she  was  still  in  the 
dark. 

The  admiral  also  had  been  greatly  taken  aback 
by  the  unexpected  appearance  there  of  his  enchantress 

309 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

of  the  afternoon.  But,  knowing  now  how  grossly 
he  had  misjudged  her,  his  surprise  had  been  pleas- 
urable entirely.  He  was  delighted  beyond  expression 
to  have  such  an  opportunity  of  reinstating  himself  in 
her  good  graces,  and,  in  that  frame  of  mind,  the 
fact  that  the  other  two  had  received  her  as  an  inti- 
mate was  sufficient  for  him. 

Ulick  Scarlett,  simple  and  honest  soldier,  supposed 
her  a  friend  of  his  sweetheart's  and  was  glad  indeed 
that  they  should  be  friends.  Only  Eileen  Saxilby, 
looking  on,  saw  clearly  that  there  was  something 
wrong. 

She  came  forth  as  the  Dona  Carmen  beckoned 
her,  and  a  sudden  ecstatic  light  dawned  on  her  under- 
standing when  the  newcomer  addressed  her  also  by 
name.  But  she  took  that  cue  without  any  change 
of  expression,  and  the  admiral,  acutely  observant, 
congratulated  himself  again.  He  offered  the  Dona 
Carmen  his  arm  and  led  her  ceremoniously  forth, 
followed  by  Ulick  Scarlett  between  the  other  two 
girls;  so  that  Eileen  Saxilby  entered  the  brilliantly 
lighted  dining-room  with  her  shapely  little  head  all 
awhirl,  her  cheeks  pink  with  excited  anticipation,  her 
gray  eyes  sparkling.  Twenty  anxious  questions  were 
trembling  upon  her  lips,  but  she  instinctively  under- 
stood that  it  would  not  be  wise  to  ask  them  just  then. 
The  lady  of  the  Calixte  was  talking  to  Ulick  Scarlett. 

To  the  Dona  Carmen's  further  surprise,  since  she 
310 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

had  ordered  five  covers  only,  the  table  was  set  for 
six.  But  she,  like  her  father,  was  not  unaccustomed 
to  cope  with  the  unexpected,  and,  crediting  him  with 
the  origin  of  each  new  turn  of  events,  leaving  herself 
to  be  guided  by  circumstances  in  her  blind  endeavor 
to  help  him  in  his  policy  of  the  moment,  she  took 
one  end  of  the  table  facing  the  door,  motioned  the  ad- 
miral and  Ulick  Scarlett  to  her  right  and  left,  the 
other  two  to  the  seats  beyond  them,  leaving  the  va- 
cant chair  at  the  foot  for  her  father.  Then  she 
threw  herself  whole-heartedly  into  the  part  for  which 
chance  had  cast  her  in  that  tragic-comedy,  and  to  such 
good  purpose  did  she  and  the  other  two  girls,  no 
less  on  the  qui  vive,  exert  themselves  to  keep  the  ad- 
miral in  good  humor  that  time  sped  all  unheeded 
while  the  deft,  soft-footed  servants  brought  course 
after  course  to  the  table.  It  seemed  that  His  Ex- 
cellency the  President  was  to  have  all  the  grace  he 
could  wish. 

The  admiral,  indeed,  was  quite  in  his  element.  It 
was  long  since  he  had  enjoyed  such  a  meal,  and  in 
such  surroundings.  The  lights  in  the  beautifully 
appointed  room  had  been  lowered  so  that  the  tinted 
table-lamps  enhanced  the  glamour  of  the  three  fair, 
animated  faces,  of  the  sparkling  eyes  that  had 
turned  their  batteries  on  him.  Ulick  Scarlett's  gay 
uniform  and  his  own  with  its  gilt  epaulettes  and  gold 
buttons  looked  their  bravest  between  the  shapely 

3" 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

white  shoulders  on  either  side,  against  the  subdued 
gleam  of  the  snowy  cloth,  with  its  glistening  silver 
and  crystal  and  cutlery,  its  bright  epergne  gay  with 
tropical  blooms. 

The  admiral  was  at  his  best,  enjoying  himself 
immensely,  master  of  a  situation  such  as  he  could 
only  have  conceived  in  a  dream.  He  was  the  life 
and  soul  of  the  little  party,  allowed  no  moment  of 
dullness  to  mar  its  mirth,  devoted  all  his  resources 
to  the  entertainment  of  the  three  girls.  But,  as  he 
was  in  the  act  of  clinking  glasses  with  Ulick  Scarlett, 
for  whom  also,  it  would  seem,  he  had  acquired  a  pro- 
found esteem,  while  the  stolid  native  servants  looked 
on  with  smiles  on  their  usually  expressionless  faces, 
there  came  from  the  patio  without,  a  strange  shuf- 
fling sound.  Hearing  that  suddenly,  he  set  his  glass 
down  untasted  and  looked  round  over  his  shoulder 
toward  the  open  doorway  through  which,  above  the 
flowers  and  the  tinkling  fountain,  were  visible  the  sky 
and  a  star  or  two  twinkling  dimly  through  the  heat- 
haze  overhead. 

The  Dona  Carmen,  lips  parted,  leaned  to  one  side, 
that  she  might  see  past  the  epergne  which  stood  be- 
tween her  and  the  head  of  the  table  where  her  father 
should  have  been  sitting.  The  two  girls,  nearest  the 
doorway,  were  looking  out,  and  Ulick  Scarlett,  sur- 
prised at  the  sudden  silence  that  had  befallen,  lis- 
tened intently,  rose,  and  reached  for  his  sword  which 

312 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

he  had  discarded  when  he  sat  down.  He  buckled  it 
on,  unnoticed,  except  by  the  servants  edging  away 
from  the  door.  But  the  admiral  had  drawn  from  the 
breast  of  his  tunic  a  silver  whistle,  which  he  held  be- 
tween his  set  lips.  The  tramp  of  the  Portuguese 
sentry,  on  his  beat  at  the  great  entrance-gates,  was 
audible  to  them  all,  but  the  other  incomprehensible 
sound  had  not  ceased.  It  was  growing  louder. 

The  lights  on  the  table  shed  a  soft,  mellow  radi- 
ance across  the  paved  passage-way  that  led  past 
the  door.  Into  that  obscure  illumination  there  came 
very  slowly  and  on  ground-level  a  head,  a  human 
head,  white-haired,  a  smooth,  flat  face  showing  a 
bristling  fringe  of  whisker  above  the  bandage  about 
its  jaws,  which  held  it  dumb. 

It  stopped  for  a  moment  to  glare  most  murder- 
ously at  the  little  group  in  the  dining-room,  and  then, 
with  a  galvanic  jerk,  writhed  forward  again,  like  a 
wounded  snake,  till  there  came  into  sight  the  body 
to  which  it  belonged:  that  of  an  old  man,  in  shirt- 
sleeves and  blue-serge  breeches,  his  hands  tied  fast 
behind  him,  his  ankles  securely  lashed  together. 

The  admiral  had  sprung  to  his  feet,  revolver 
ready,  and  the  shrill  shriek  of  his  whistle  rent  the 
tense  silence.  Ulick  Scarlett  had  drawn  his  sword 
and  stepped  in  front  of  Eileen  as  she  shrank  back- 
ward at  sight  of  Captain  Dove  in  such  plight.  The 
fair,  mysterious  stranger,  her  vis-a-vis,  who  had  been 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

studying  her  intently  throughout  the  meal,  had  come 
coolly  round  the  end  of  the  table,  past  the  Dona 
Carmen  standing  there  as  if  spell-bound,  and  whis- 
pered a  quick  sentence  or  two  in  her  ear  while  the 
clatter  of  heavy  boots  on  the  paved  patio  preceded 
the  prompt  appearance  of  the  admiral's  men,  half  a 
dozen  of  them  under  a  petty  officer. 

Two  of  them  seized  the  prone  body  they  had 
almost  stumbled  over,  set  it  roughly  on  its  feet,  held 
it  upright  there.  The  others  drew  up  in  the  door- 
way, awaiting  orders. 

"  How  did  —  that  —  come  here?"  demanded  the 
admiral,  in  an  explosion  of  righteous  wrath.  It  was 
a  very  gross  outrage  on  his  dignity  that  the  dinner- 
party should  thus  have  been  interrupted  and  his  pleas- 
ure spoiled.  And,  while  he  and  his  petty  officer  were 
exchanging  quick  questions  and  answers,  the  bound 
and  silent  figure  that  had  so  startled  him  became 
almost  black  in  the  face  with  forcibly  suppressed  feel- 
ing. 

;'  Take  the  gag  out  of  his  mouth,  fool!  "  ordered 
the  admiral,  in  a  frenzy,  and  the  petty  officer,  draw- 
ing a  sheaf-knife,  quickly  restored  Captain  Dove  to 
freedom  of  speech.  But  all  Captain  Dove's  bottled 
up  profanity  failed  him  then.  He  could  find  no 
words  in  which  to  express  his  opinion  of  the  Portu- 
guese admiral,  who  had  already  wasted  so  much  un- 
speakably precious  time.  He  gulped  and  gobbled 

3H 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

and  choked  till,  at  length,  he  regained  command  of 
himself.  Then:  "  Cut  me  loose,  damn  you!  "  said 
he  in  a  deadly  whisper;  "  if  you  want  me  to  show  you 
where  Casado  is  with  his  gold.  Cut  my  feet  loose, 
if  you're  afraid  of  my  hands,  and  come  with  me." 

"  Loose  his  feet,"  said  the  admiral  in  a  strangled, 
husky  whisper  and  started  forward,  now  thoroughly 
alarmed.  "  Make  sure  on  your  life  that  no  one 
enters  or  leaves  the  villa.  See  that  the  sentries  outside 
are  on  the  alert.  And  now  —  lead  the  way,  you ! 
What  are  you  waiting  for?  Take  me  to  the  Presi- 
dent, instantly." 


315 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


CAPTAIN  DOVE  said  no  farther  word, 
good  or  bad,  as  he  shuffled  hastily  along 
the  patio,  between  two  Portuguese  sailors, 
his  hands  still  tied.  At  his  heels,  with  drawn  sword, 
went  Ulick  Scarlett,  and  behind  him,  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance, panted  the  admiral,  attended  by  two  more  of 
his  men,  all  four  of  whom  carried  candles  snatched 
from  their  scones  in  the  drawing-room,  where  the 
three  girls  had  been  left  under  guard,  prisoners. 
The  admiral  had  set  a  sentry  at  the  door,  with  whis- 
pered instructions  to  see  that  they  stayed  there  till 
he  should  return.  He  had  begun  to  fear  that  his 
complaisance  toward  them  had  been  misplaced,  and 
was  determined  to  make  an  immediate  end  of  all 
these  harassing  mysteries. 

The  double  gates  that  gave  on  the  inner  patio 
were  standing  ajar,  and  Captain  Dove  led  the  way 
directly  to  the  low  door  of  the  President's  private 
apartments.  It  stood  wide  open,  and  seemed  to  have 
been  fastened  back,  as  was  the  case  with  the 
others  they  passed  till  they  reached  the  end  room, 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

where  a  lamp  was  burning.  And  there  Captain 
Dove,  at  the  admiral's  order,  halted  impatiently 
over  the  gaping  trap-door  that  led  to  the  cellar 
below. 

The  admiral  bade  Ulick  Scarlett  and  two  of  the 
sailors  go  down  and  investigate.  He  was  all  eager- 
ness himself,  but  his  native  caution  counseled  delay 
till  he  could  be  sure  that  he  was  not  to  be  ambushed 
underground  in  the  darkness.  And  Captain  Dove, 
no  less  cunning,  knew  what  he  feared,  but  wasted  no 
words  in  any  vain  attempt  to  convince  him  other- 
wise, only  groaning  inwardly  over  this  farther  futile 
delay. 

Ulick  Scarlett  soon  came  hurrying  up  the  steps  to 
report,  and  his  face  of  horror  helped  to  assure  the 
admiral  that  he  at  least  was  not  concerned  in  any  pos- 
sible plot. 

'  This  seems  to  be  a  wine-cellar,  sir,"  said  the 
young  Scots  soldier  of  fortune  breathlessly.  "  His 
Excellency  the  President  is  lying  bound  and  gagged, 
beside  two  other  men  I  have  never  seen  before, 
among  the  barrels.  There's  another  trap-door  be- 
low, leading  to  a  vault  full  of  what  look  to  me  like 
specie-boxes.  Your  men  will  not  allow  me  to  un- 
loose His  Excellency.  Will  you  please  pass  the 
word  to  — " 

The  admiral  had  listened  intently,  with  kindling 
eyes.  On  the  spur  of  the  moment  an  inspiration  had 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

come  to  him.  He  shouted  an  order  in  Portuguese 
to  the  men  below. 

"  Go  back,"  he  said  to  the  young  officer  of  life- 
guards, "  and  set  the  President  free."  And,  utter- 
ing some  quick  words  in  the  same  tongue  to  Captain 
Dove's  two  attentive  guardians,  he  went  down  the 
steps  himself,  revolver  in  hand. 

Ulick  Scarlett  had  sheathed  his  sword  and  was 
stooping  over  Casado,  who  gave  him  a  very  grateful 
glance,  about  to  unknot  the  gag  which  was  irking  his 
august  employer  so  sorely,  when  both  his  arms  were 
suddenly  seized  from  behind.  He  gave  vent  to  a 
wild  cry  of  mingled  rage  and  surprise,  but  he  was 
forced  forward  upon  his  face  and  so  expeditiously 
silenced  and  bound  that  his  utmost  efforts  against 
these  measures  availed  him  nothing.  At  the  same 
time  Captain  Dove  was  hustled  below,  and,  cursing 
insanely,  since  other  protest  availed  him  nothing,  re- 
duced to  the  same  ignominious  bondage  from  which 
he  had  been  at  such  pains  to  attempt  escape.  Tied 
hand  and  foot,  he  had  crawled,  as  a  worm  might, 
from  the  cellar  to  the  dining-room  —  only  to  be 
restored  to  his  place  beside  his  companions,  no  better 
off  than  they  who  had  made  no  such  desperate  ex- 
ertion in  the  common  cause.  It  was  bitter  as  death, 
too,  to  be  deprived  again  of  the  power  of  speech, 
of  the  opportunity  to  make  any  terms  at  all  for  him- 
self with  the  man  who  had  thus  fortuitously  been 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

enabled  to  overreach  them  all.  His  weak,  red- 
rimmed  eyes  winked  tearfully  in  the  dim,  flickering 
light  of  the  candle  with  which  the  Portuguese  admi- 
ral was  scanning  curiously  the  features  of  his  five 
prisoners. 

The  thoughts  of  the  other  four  were  no  less  vis- 
ible in  their  faces,  and  the  admiral  smiled  trium- 
phantly as  he  finished  his  survey.  Then  he  turned 
away  with  his  light  to  inspect  the  vault. 

When  he  came  puffing  up  the  damp  steps  again, 
his  expression  was  one  of  virtuous  surprise  and  aus- 
terity. He  had  found  that  excuse  for  his  conduct 
which  he,  a  Knight  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  could  not 
but  desire. 

He  set  his  candle  down  again,  where  it  would  dis- 
play to  him  the  demeanor  of  his  audience,  and  spoke 
severely,  to  the  President. 

"  You  have  not  dealt  honorably  with  me,  Senor 
Casado,"  he  said,  "  although  I  have  kept  my  pact 
with  you,  at  my  own  personal  risk.  And,  now  that  I 
know  you  have  acted  so  treacherously  toward  me, 
I  must  proceed  otherwise  than  I  had  intended.  The 
gold  is  there,  as  you  said,  but  —  you  have  taken  ad- 
vantage of  my  good-nature;  you  have  grossly  be- 
trayed the  trust  I  was  so  ill-advised  as  to  repose  in 
your  promises.  A  number,  and  very  many,  no 
doubt,  of  the  bullion-boxes  stored  in  your  vault  have 
very  recently  been  removed.  The  evidence  against 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

you  is  sufficiently  plain  to  satisfy  me  that  you  had 
intended  to  trick  me  entirely.  And  —  good !  I  am 
no  such  simpleton  as  you  think  me. 

"  The  bullion  remaining  will  promptly  be  trans- 
ferred to  my  flag-ship.  That  done,  you  and  I  and 
our  other  friends  here  will  follow  it  with  me.  There 
we  will  adjust  our  account,  and  —  that  settled,  I'll 
either  set  you  ashore  again  or  land  you  in  Lisbon, 
as  you  prefer.  I  am  generous,  you  see,  but  —  please 
understand  that  I  am  not  so  easily  to  be  hoodwinked 
as  you  have  imagined." 

He  ceased,  well  satisfied  with  himself  and  to  see 
his  perfidious  enemy  writhing  there  impotent,  almost 
heartbroken  by  the  irony  of  that  charge,  so  abso- 
lutely unfounded.  To  the  others  he  paid  no  farther 
attention,  since  they  were  merely  pawns  in  the  game. 

At  a  word  from  him  one  of  his  men,  all  eying 
him  with  amazement  and  admiration,  scurried  off  to 
fetch  the  strongest  fatigue-party  that  could  be 
spared  from  his  little  force,  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
veying the  boxes  below  to  the  launch  at  the  landing 
stage.  The  launch  came,  bearing  a  dozen  sailors, 
with  rifles  slung,  under  a  master-at-arms,  and  case 
after  case  of  packed  gold  coin  was  carried  up  to  the 
patio,  past  the  man  who  had  spent  the  best  years  of  his 
life  in  accumulating  that  hoard.  And  the  admiral 
stood  there,  looking  on,  keeping  count  of  the  boxes, 
heedless  of  everything  else  now  that  the  object  of  all 

320 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

efforts  was  almost  attained.  He  could  already  hear 
the  cheers  that  would  greet  him  as  he  sailed  up  the 
Tagus,  with  his  strong-room  better  lined  than  any 
Portuguese  warship's  had  ever  been,  even  when  Por- 
tugal was  a  power  to  be  counted  with  on  the  high 
and  narrow  seas. 

His  master-at-arms  had  furnished  his  men  with 
torches,  whose  smoky  flare  filled  the  cellar  with  a 
rich  light.  But  the  captives  in  one  corner,  behind 
a  big  wine-cask,  could  see  nothing  of  more  interest 
than  the  Portuguese  admiral's  back,  where  he  stood 
supervising  these  operations.  All  they  could  hear 
was  the  steady  tramp  of  feet  as  man  after  man  came 
up  the  stone  steps  laden,  to  descend  light.  A  million 
of  money  in  gold  weighs  a  good  deal,  and  a 
dozen  men  are  none  too  many  to  handle  a  dozen 
millions. 

But,  above  the  steady  tramp  of  the  sailors,  another 
sound  supervened,  a  sound  at  which  the  admiral 
cocked  his  ears  apprehensively;  that  of  someone  run- 
ning through  the  rooms  above,  toward  the  cellar. 
He  stepped  to  the  ladder  which  led  from  it,  as  if  to 
ascend,  but,  as  he  reached  that,  the  petty  officer  of 
the  Portuguese  guard  came  clambering  down  in  hot 
haste,  and  recognizing  him,  stopped  short,  at  the 
salute. 

"  Pardon,  senhor  almirante"  he  gasped,  breathing 
heavily,  "  but  there  has  come  to  the  outer  gate  word 

321 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

that  the  Nicazuelan  army  is  marching  upon  the  villa, 
and  will  be  here  almost  instantly." 

The  admiral  glared  at  him.  "  Who  brings  the 
news?"  he  demanded  in  a  white  heat. 

"  A  trooper  of  the  President's  life-guards,  seeking 
speech  with  Lieutenant  Scarlett." 

"  Bring  him  here  to  me  immediately,"  cried  the 
admiral,  and  coughed  grievously  as  the  acrid,  pun- 
gent smoke  with  which  the  cellar  was  rapidly  filling 
caught  him  by  the  throat.  The  petty  officer  was 
away  again  at  a  run  before  he  had  half-recovered 
and  no  less  rapidly  reappeared,  stumbling  down  the 
steps  in  the  rear  of  a  dusty,  bedraggled,  half-dazed 
native  cavalry  soldier,  disarmed  on  admittance. 

"Who  leads  the  attack?"  asked  the  admiral 
crisply.  The  prospect  of  plain  fighting  had  acted 
on  his  frayed  nerves  as  a  tonic.  His  voice  rang 
firmly  above  the  steady  tramp  of  his  sailors'  feet 
as  they  passed  and  repassed  him,  laden  or  light. 

"  The  Sefior  Don  Enrique  Vidal,  Excellency,"  an- 
swered the  man,  cringing  before  him  and  eager  to 
curry  favor.  "  He  has  been  proclaimed  President 
in  place  of  Don  Fermin  Casado.  He  is  on  the  march 
from  the  capital  to  El  Puerto.  The  troop  to  which 
I  belong  was  detailed  to  hold  the  road  against  him, 
and  we  would  perhaps  have  done  so,  but  our  officer 
also  has  deserted  us,  and  we  had  no  option  out 
to  surrender  to  the  President.  The  sergeant-major 

322 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

sent  me  on  ahead  at  the  gallop  to  carry  the  news  to 
Lieutenant  Scarlett  and  to  our  colonel,  if  he  be  still 
at  his  post.  But  my  horse  was  shot  by  a  sentry 
at  the  roadside,  and — " 

"  How  many  men  has  the  Sefior  Vidal  brought 
with  him  ?  "  the  admiral  interrupted,  and  the  fear- 
stricken  cavalryman  held  up  his  hands  hopelessly. 

"A  legion,"  he  answered;  "regiments  without 
number,  artillery  also.  I  myself  saw  one  of  their 
guns,  standing  ready,  trained,  to  breach  our  stockade. 
We  could  in  no  wise  have  held  the  position  against 
them.  I  saw  also  — " 

"  The  man  is  lying,"  a  cool,  level  voice  inter- 
rupted, and  the  admiral  jumped  nervously  round,  re- 
volver raised.  He  could  have  told  those  tones  from 
among  a  thousand,  and  he  was  half-afraid  that 
Casado  was  free  again.  He  uttered  a  startled  ejac- 
ulation as  his  glance  fell  instinctively  on  his  arch- 
enemy. 

The  ex-President  still  lay,  securely  bound,  where 
he  had  been  left  by  his  original  captors.  But,  by 
means  of  heroic  measures,  he  had  managed  to  free 
himself  from  his  gag.  The  admiral  had  left  a 
lighted  candle  on  the  flagged  floor  not  far  from  his 
head.  He  had  held  his  face  to  the  flame  till  the 
cloth  about  his  chin  had  charred  through.  His  beard 
and  moustache  were  scorched  and  frizzled.  On  one 
cheek-bone  was  a  red  and  angry  burn. 

323 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  The  man  lies,"  he  remarked,  in  a  cold,  quiet 
voice.  '  There  are  no  field-guns  in  the  republic. 
The  defenses  of  the  capital  consist  of  heavy  cannon 
and  garrison  artillery." 

The  admiral  still  stood  silent,  listening,  and  he 
went  on,  no  less  coolly.  "  Even  without  them,  how- 
ever, Enrique  Vidal  may  prove  very  dangerous.  He 
has  probably  a  strong  force  of  infantry  with  him, 
and  a  sufficient  proportion  of  mounted  men.  If  he 
besieges  you  here,  you  will  undoubtedly  have  to  capit- 
ulate —  and  he  will  most  assuredly  seize  the  —  the 
gold. 

"  But,  notwithstanding  your  grievous  treatment  of 
me,  I  am  still  willing  to  stand  your  friend.  And 
not  without  reason,  for  Vidal  will  certainly  cut  my 
throat  if  he  finds  me  here.  I  would  not  for  worlds 
either  that  he  should  lay  hands  on  my  —  on  the  gold 
reserve  of  the  Banco  de  Nicazuela.  You  have  en- 
tirely misunderstood  my  intentions.  This  is  no  time 
to  tell  you  what  has  happened  here  before  you 
found  me  as  I  am  now.  But  I  have  not  broken  faith 
with  you,  as  you  think.  Free  me  —  and  those  oth- 
ers —  and  I'll  show  you  how  we  may  yet  get  the 
boxes  safely  to  —  the  Olive  Branch." 

He  ceased,  abruptly,  said  nothing  more.  The 
Portuguese  admiral  stood  gazing  at  him,  not  know- 
ing what  to  believe,  like  one  in  a  trance.  And  al- 
ways the  sailors  maintained  their  endless  chain  be- 

324 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

tween  the  vault  and  the  patio,  the  links  on  one  side 
always  laden,  dredging  the  vault  of  its  treasure. 

"  Better  stop  them,"  Casado  advised.  "  You 
won't  get  the  boxes  down  to  the  beach  that  way 
now.  But  I  can  show  you  how  we  may  yet  get  them. 
safely  to  the  Olive  Branch." 

The  dull,  faint  echo  of  a  distant  rifle-shot  was 
audible  over  the  tramp  of  feet  on  the  stone-flagged 
floor  and  the  steps  and  the  wooden  ladder  that  led 
to  the  little  room  above  where  the  lamp  was  burning. 
Followed  by  another,  and  then  another,  and  a  very 
ragged  volley,  it  served  to  supplement  his  assertion. 
The  admiral  was  between  the  horns  of  a  most  hor- 
rible dilemma. 

All  he  wished  was  to  get  away  with  the  gold. 
With  that  to  show  for  himself  he  would  need  no  ex- 
cuse for  this  very  unconstitutional  conduct  of  his  dis- 
tant country's  affairs  in  a  far  away  corner  of  the 
world.  Without  it  he  would  undoubtedly  be  called 
to  the  strictest  account  for  all  he  had  done.  And  it 
would  be  difficult  to  explain  some  of  the  steps  he  had 
taken  in  his  country's  interests  —  that  little  dinner- 
party, for  instance;  his  procedure  with  the  President 
—  ex-President  now,  deposed,  and  perhaps  through 
his  actions;  his  patently  probable  clash  with  the 
forces  of  Don  Enrique  Vidal.  At  any  cost  he  must 
get  away  with  sufficient  money  to  justify  all  his  ac- 
tions. 

325 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  made  up  his  mind  with  a  promptitude  com- 
mendable in  view  of  the  champagne  he  had  drunk 
during  the  afternoon  and  evening.  "Halt!"  he 
cried  to  the  double  line  of  men  passing  to  and  fro 
at  one  side. 

"  Give  me  your  knife,"  he  directed  a  sweating 
sailor,  and  with  his  own  hands  cut  the  cords  with 
which  Casado  had  been  secured. 

The  ex-President  of  Nicazuela  got  to  his  feet  and 
stretched  himself  stiffly.  From  overhead,  in  the  dis- 
tance, came  the  intermittent  crackle  of  rifle-fire.  The 
Portuguese  admiral  glanced  hither  and  thither,  uncer- 
tainly. 

"  Order  your  men  to  draw  inside  the  villa,"  Ca- 
sado advised.  "  A  couple  of  hours  will  suffice  us  to 
get  away  with  our  lading,  and  we  must  hold  the 
house  for  so  long.  But  that  will  be  easy  enough, 
and  —  you  may  as  well  set  my  friends  here  free. 
They'll  help  us." 

The  admiral  could  see  nothing  else  for  it,  and, 
little  as  he  liked  the  idea  of  liberating  the  others  also, 
he  could  not  afford  to  hesitate  even  at  that. 

"  Remove  their  arms  and  release  them,"  he  told 
the  men  looking  on,  and  this  was  quickly  accom- 
plished. The  four  remaining  prisoners,  freed,  rose 
somewhat  sheepishly,  and  stood  silent  for  a  mo- 
ment, glad  to  be  drawing  free  breath  again.  It  was 

326 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

self-evident  that  now  was  no  time  for  recrimination 
or  paying  off  old  scores.  They  were  for  the  present 
reunited  and  in  a  purpose  that  might  by  no  means 
be  postponed  except  at  the  common  cost.  Ulick 
Scarlett  would  perhaps  have  precipitated  the  personal 
trouble  brewing,  but  the  ex-President,  understanding 
his  state  of  mind,  held  up  a  peremptory  hand  and  he 
had  perforce  to  restrain  himself. 

Casado,  indeed,  assumed  the  command  from  that 
moment,  and  the  admiral  prudently  yielded  him  prec- 
edence, contenting  himself  with  swearing  at  his  own 
men  when  occasion  offered. 

The  defense  of  the  villa  was  their  first  care,  and 
Casado  had  often  enough  already  studied  out  all  the 
details  involved  in  that.  It  was  very  defensibly  built 
and  situated,  and  he  knew  that  a  mere  handful  of 
men  might  maintain  it  even  against  such  a  force  as 
Vidal  was  leading  against  it,  for  long  enough  at  least 
to  satisfy  him.  He  sent  Ulick  Scarlett  off  with  as 
many  of  the  fatigue-party  as  the  admiral  would  per- 
mit to  withdraw  from  the  cellar,  and  clear  instruc- 
tions as  to  the  disposition  of  the  little  fighting  force. 

"  And  see  that  the  gates  of  the  inner  patio  are 
ready  to  swing  to,  in  case  you  are  forced  to  retire  so 
far,"  he  finished.  "  When  I  send  you  word  to  do 
so,  bring  your  men  down  here,  but  make  quite  sure 
that  the  bolts  of  the  door  at  the  entrance  to  my  apart- 

327 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ments  are  shot  well  home  behind  you.  Report  to 
me  here  in  the  interim,  and  bring  Carmen  and 
her  friend  down  with  you  too." 

A  frown  of  anxiety  flitted  across  his  features  at 
thought  of  his  daughter,  but  passed  at  once.  He 
knew  that  she  would  be  safe  enough  behind  the  bul- 
let-proof shutters  in  the  drawing-room,  and  he  knew 
moreover  that  he  could  trust  her  to  think  for  her- 
self during  any  such  crisis.  This  would  not  be  the 
first  occasion  by  a  good  many  on  which  she  had  heard 
unmoved  the  crackle  of  musketry  and  shown  wit 
sufficient  to  serve  him  as  well  as  herself. 

"  Get  the  boxes  above  brought  back  here,  if  you 
please,"  he  requested  abruptly  of  the  admiral,  and 
the  admiral  reluctantly  gave  the  word.  The  living 
line  was  immediately  reestablished,  began  to  bring 
down  the  boxes  it  had  carried  up,  and  then,  greatly 
to  the  Portuguese  sailor's  relief,  Casado  disclosed  his 
last  and  most  precious  secret.  Under  an  already 
empty  cask  in  a  corner  there  was  a  subterranean  exit 
from  the  cellar. 

"  Into  the  ravine,"  said  Casado,  reading  aright  the 
other's  mute,  questioning  glance;  "thence  under 
an  overhang  of  the  rock  to  the  landing-stage  where 
your  launch  is.  But  the  men  must  go  bare-foot,  and 
—  the  first  that  makes  a  sound  will  be  strangled! 
There  may  be  passers-by  on  the  bridge  that  carries 
the  road  across  the  ravine.  The  pathway's  straight 

328 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

and  level  from  this  stair-foot,  but  I'll  lead  the  way 
if  you  like,  once  my  daughter  comes  down." 

"  I'd  rather  you'd  stay  here  with  me,"  said  the  ad- 
miral bluntly.  "  My  men  will  do  that  part  of  the 
work  if  you  and  your  friends  will  help  on  the  spot. 
Here  —  you  fellows !  " 

He  selected  six  and  set  them  to  act  as  transport  to 
the  landing-stage,  saw  them  off  himself,  thoroughly 
posted  in  their  dangerous  duty,  after  a  hissed  threat 
of  dire  consequences  should  they  fail  in  any  respect. 
And  he  waited  in  sore  suspense  at  the  tunnel-opening 
till  he  heard  the  soft  pad-pad  of  their  bare  feet  on 
the  stone  steps  as  they  came  perspiringly  back. 

"  All  is  well,  sir,"  the  first  reported  promptly,  re- 
turning the  key  the  admiral  had  obtained  from  Ca- 
sado.  '  The  launch  is  still  there  and  her  men  on 
the  look-out  ready  to  cast  off.  There  had  been  pass- 
ers-by, carrying  boxes  also.  We  left  our  lading 
on  board." 

"  Good!  "  grunted  the  admiral.  "  Get  away  with 
more.  Keep  going."  And  as  he  turned  again  to 
Casado,  he  drew  the  back  of  one  hand  across  his 
damp  brow,  and  heaved  a  sigh  of  satisfaction  as  he  ob- 
served that  the  stack  of  boxes  behind  him  had  grown 
perceptibly. 

Captain  Dove,  applying  himself  to  that  object,  was 
driving  relentlessly  the  few  remaining  Portuguese 
sailors  who  formed  his  party.  Slyne  also  had  taken 

329 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

his  place  in  the  panting  line,  was  proving  himself  a 
man  of  his  hands  at  the  unaccustomed  labor.  Only 
Casado  and  the  Portuguese  admiral  remained  on 
their  dignity,  unable,  even  in  that  hour  of  sore  stress, 
to  set  aside  the  remembrance  that  they  were  of  line- 
age and  position  too  lofty  to  entertain  for  an  instant 
the  absurd  idea  of  acting  as  common  porters.  Eus- 
tace Gildersleeve  stood  by  useless,  an  old,  broken 
man,  seeking  no  more  than  escape  with  his  life  from 
the  scene  of  all  those  horrors  he  had  endured.  And, 
beyond  making  sure  that  he  remained  where  he  was, 
no  one  paid  any  attention  to  him. 

Casado  looked  up  eagerly  as  he  heard  the  clink  of 
Ulick  Scarlett's  spurs  in  the  room  above  and  smiled  as 
he  saw  the  edge  of  a  tweed  skirt  at  the  top  of  the 
steps.  His  daughter  smiled  back  at  him  as  she 
tripped  nimbly  down  in  a  smart  traveling  dress,  and 
instinctively  stood  to  one  side  that  her  escort  might 
make  his  report  on  the  instant. 

"  The  Portuguese  fleet  has  sent  a  strong  landing- 
party  ashore,"  said  the  young  officer  concisely.  "  It 
seems  to  be  trying  to  fight  its  way  to  the  villa,  but 
Don  Enrique  Vidal's  men  are  driving  it  back.  They 
have  almost  succeeded  in  reaching  the  entrance-gate, 
and  are  preparing  to  breach  it.  We  have  lost  five 
men,  severely  wounded  or  dead." 

Casado  looked  at  the  admiral  with  uplifted  eye- 
brows. He  understood  now  why  the  dull  echo  of 

330 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

the  distant  conflict  had  so  much  increased  in  volume. 

"  I  ordered  a  rescue-party  to  follow  me  in  case  I 
didn't  return  on  time,"  the  Portuguese  admiral  ex- 
plained vexedly.  "  I  don't  know  how  the  devil  I'm 
to  get  word  to  them  now  that  — " 

"  Leave  them  to  fight  it  out  with  Vidal,"  said  Ca- 
sado  coolly,  "  till  we  get  away  with  the  launch. 
Then  we'll  signal  them  to  retire  at  once.  And 
then  — " 

Captain  Dove  set  down  a  box  of  gold  with  a  bang 
on  the  growing  mound  beside  them.  "  Where 
are  the  other  two?"  he  demanded  hotly  of  Ulick 
Scarlett.  "  Where's  Saleh  —  and  that  Saxilby 
girl?" 

The  boy  looked  the  truculent  old  ruffian  full  in  the 
face. 

"  What  business  is  that  of  yours?  "  he  asked  qui- 
etly. "  You  needn't  worry  about  anyone  but  your- 
self." 

And,  even  as  Captain  Dove  would  have  sprung  at 
him,  a  low,  little  musical  laugh  rang  out  very  clearly 
above  the  din. 

"  Here  I  am,  Captain  Dove,"  said  an  unconcerned 
voice,  and  Saleh  herself  appeared,  smiling,  behind 
Jasper  Slyne. 


331 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

UNDER  A   RED  MOON 

SALEH  had  assuredly  reason  to  be  well  pleased 
with  herself.     It  was  entirely  owing  to  her 
that  the  rash  adventurers  of  the  Calixte  were 
not  at  that  moment  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  their 
enemies.     She  had  planned  and  carried  out  with  in- 
imitable courage  and  audacity  each  step  of  their  per- 
ilous enterprise,  and,  always  on  the  edge  of  a  disas- 
ter, found  means  of  some  sort  to  overcome  every  un- 
foreseen obstacle. 

It  had  been  a  heavy  blow  to  their  hopes  when  they, 
concealed  in  the  cellar  above,  had  overheard  Casado 
explain  to  the  three  confederates  whom  he  had 
treated  so  treacherously  the  recent  change  in  the  situ- 
ation. And  not  even  his  malicious  intimation  to 
Eustace  Gildersleeve  that  Eileen  Saxilby  was  with  the 
others  in  the  drawing-room  could  counter-balance  the 
news  that  the  road  back  to  their  boat  was  closed 
against  them  by  the  Portuguese  sentries  posted  about 
it;  for  that  must  inevitably  mean  the  loss  of  much 
precious  time,  and  add  a  thousand-fold  to  the  risk  of 
discovery. 

332 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

But  Saleh  was  not  to  be  baffled,  even  by  such  a 
complication,  while  there  remained  any  single  chance 
of  success.  She  had  been  brought  up  among  men 
accustomed  to  stake  everything  on  that.  As  soon 
as  Casado  and  his  no  less  dumfounded  accomplices 
had  been  secured,  she  bade  Ingersoll  seek  out 
the  underground  exit  shown  in  Jose  Maria  Moreno's 
plan  of  the  cellar,  and  get  as  many  of  the  bullion- 
boxes  as  possible  to  the  beach  while  she  should  be 
keeping  the  Portuguese  admiral  occupied.  For  the 
means  to  accomplish  that  and  to  free  Eileen  she  must 
trust  to  luck. 

And  Ingersoll,  curbing  his  fierce  impatience, 
dumbly  compliant,  set  to  work  wildly  lest  the  almost 
overwhelming  temptation  to  break  away  by  himself 
and  succor  Eileen  single-handed  should  yet  vanquish 
common-sense.  He  was  scarcely  master  of  his  own 
actions  now. 

At  a  sign  from  her,  Tommy  Judson  followed  her 
from  the  cellar,  and,  with  his  master-key,  took  her 
through  to  the  outer  patio.  She  had  much  to  say 
to  him  by  the  way,  and  he  listened  with  close  atten- 
tion, nodding  from  time  to  time  in  the  darkness,  but 
grudgingly.  He  would  infinitely  rather  have  faced 
himself  the  risk  she  was  so  ready  to  take  to  rescue 
Eileen. 

As  they  stepped  out  into  the  patio  they  saw  that 
the  moon  had  risen  above  the  mountains,  a  great  red 

333 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

orb  that  loomed  obscurely  through  the  thick  heat- 
haze,  whose  faint  glow,  reflected  by  the  pink  walls 
of  the  flower-filled  court  they  were  crossing  made  it 
look  like  some  dim,  unreal  dream-garden  in  fairy- 
land. Saleh  stopped  suddenly,  in  the  shadow  of  the 
always  tinkling  fountain,  laid  a  hand  on  Tommy  Jud- 
son's  strong  arm.  He  halted  and  looked  round  at 
her  in  surprise,  but  she  had  bent  her  head  so  that 
no  light  should  fall  on  her  face  and  was  studying 
his. 

"  What  shall  I  say  to  —  that  Saxilby  girl  when 
I  see  her,  Tommy?"  she  asked  in  a  low  whisper. 

"  Tell  her  I'm  here,  and  Ingersoll,  too,"  he  whis- 
pered back  hurriedly.  "  Tell  her  everything  will 
be  all  right  now,  and  —  you  know  what  to  say,  Saleh. 
Get  her  through  to  us  as  soon  as  you  see  a  chance, 
and  we'll  be  off  —  even  if  we've  to  leave  the  gold 
behind.  We'd  better  not  wait  now  —  we're  work- 
ing with  seconds.  You  —  you're  not  afraid  to  go 
on  alone,  are  you  ?  " 

In  his  ugly,  honest  face  she  saw  only  concern  for 
her  courage :  that  and  nothing  more. 

"  No,  I'm  not  afraid,"  she  said  gently,  "  to  go  on 
alone.  And  I'll  bring  her  back  with  me,  Tommy." 
And,  with  that,  she  went  on  toward  the  gates.  But, 
ere  she  slipped  through  the  second,  she  held  out  a 
hand  to  him,  mutely,  and  he  took  it,  wondering,  in  a 
quick,  nervous  clasp.  Then  she  disappeared  in  the 

334 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

shadows  beyond,  and  he,  leaving  the  gates  both  ajar, 
turned  back,  with  a  heavy  heart.  He  set  wide  all 
the  doors  leading  into  the  cellar,  that  she  might  re- 
join them  the  more  speedily,  and,  satisfied  that  he 
had  taken  every  precaution  possible,  applied  himself 
resolutely  to  the  work  on  hand. 

Saleh  took  in  the  situation  on  her  side  without  the 
loss  of  a  moment.  She  could  see  the  servants  en- 
grossed in  their  tasks  in  the  lighted  kitchen  and  din- 
ing-room; one  passed  along  the  patio  with  a  silver 
salver  on  which  were  set  bottles  and  glasses  and  boxes 
of  cigarettes.  She  peeped  out  of  the  darkness  into 
the  drawing-room,  and  saw  enough  of  the  scene  there 
to  choose  her  own  course  at  once.  The  door  of  the 
Dona  Carmen's  dressing-room  was  half-open,  the 
profusion  of  frocks  from  which  she  and  Eileen  Saxil- 
by  had  chosen  their  dinner-costumes  left  hanging 
over  the  chairs.  Saleh  entered,  and  very  shortly 
emerged  again,  dressed  for  the  part  she  was  going  to 
play.  She  only  paused  to  pluck  a  flower  for  her 
breast  from  the  beautiful  blossoms  about  the  fountain 
as  she  crossed  boldly  to  the  dining-room. 

"  You  will  set  an  extra  place  at  table,"  she  said 
quietly  to  the  servant  who  looked  round  as  she  came 
in.  And  he,  never  doubting  her  right  to  give  such 
an  order,  set  to  at  once  to  make  the  required  altera- 
tion. The  staff  of  the  President's  household  were 
all  well-trained  and  not  in  the  habit  of  questioning 

335 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

any  quick  change  or  queer  counter-order.  And  the 
dinner-hour  had  just  been  set  back  twenty  minutes, 
greatly  to  the  cook's  disgust,  so  that  there  was  still 
time  enough. 

Encouraged  by  that  result,  Saleh  went  on  to  the 
drawing-room,  and,  with  her  heart  in  her  mouth 
now,  halted  doubtfully  at  the  threshold.  Then  she 
caught  Eileen  Saxilby's  eye,  and  swept  in,  herself 
again,  her  head  well  back,  her  lips  parting  in  a  slow, 
radiant  smile. 

She  could  see  that  the  Portuguese  admiral  did  not 
immediately  know  what  to  make  of  her  presence 
there,  but  Ulick  Scarlett's  glad  greeting  gave  her  all 
the  opening  she  needed.  And  the  same  quick,  femi- 
nine foresight  that  had  induced  her  to  spend  ten 
precious  minutes  in  dressing  to  suit  the  occasion 
showed  her  how  she  might  best  deal  with  the  Presi- 
dent's daughter.  The  information  Casado  himself 
had  unintentionally  afforded  stood  her  in  good 
stead  with  the  Dona  Carmen,  and,  as  dinner  was  an- 
nounced, she  saw  that  her  most  audacious  pretension 
was  to  pass  unquestioned  for  the  time  being.  That 
was  sufficient  for  her. 

She  scanned  Eileen  Saxilby  very  closely  as  the 
American  girl  approached,  and  throughout  the  tense, 
effervescent  gaiety  that  prevailed  at  the  dinner-ta- 
ble, glanced  over  at  her  from  time  to  time  with  eyes 
enigmatic,  inscrutable.  But  Eileen's  clear  gaze  met 

336 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

hers  gladly  and  most  gratefully  always,  and,  when 
Captain  Dove's  alarming  appearance  brought  dinner 
to  an  abrupt  conclusion,  Saleh  moved  round  the  room 
toward  her,  and  gave  her  Tommy  Judson's  message, 
in  his  own  words,  while  the  rest  were  too  busy  other- 
wise to  overhear. 

She  herself  was  not  a  little  dismayed  at  the  thought 
of  what  the  old  man's  escape  from  the  cellar  might 
mean  to  her  friends  and  herself,  but  quick  reflection 
helped  her  to  hope  that  they  had  already  got  clear 
away  with  their  booty.  She  had  surely  held  the  ad- 
miral back  long  enough  to  allow  of  that,  and  might 
now  devote  all  her  energies  to  saving  herself  —  and 
Eileen. 

Alone  she  might  have  trusted  to  her  own  fleetness 
to  reach  the  inner  patio  and  get  the  gates  at  its  en- 
trance fast  before  the  heavy-footed  Portuguese 
sailors  could  reach  her.  And  then  the  steel  door 
farther  on  would  have  baffled  them  till  she  could 
reach  the  beach.  But  she  had  no  wish  to  escape 
alone.  She  had  promised  Tommy  to  bring  Eileen 
Saxilby  back  with  her:  and  she  meant  to  keep  that 
promise. 

But  after  Captain  Dove's  acrimonious  explosion 
the  admiral  shepherded  the  three  girls  back  into  the 
drawing-room,  set  a  sentry  over  them,  and  went  off 
with  the  old  man  and  Ulick  Scarlett.  They  were,  to 
all  intents,  prisoners, 

337 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

The  Dona  Carmen  turned  with  a  quick  imploring 
gesture  to  Saleh. 

"  My  father  ? "  she  asked,  ignoring  all  else  in 
her  urgency. 

'  Your  father  is  safe,  in  the  cellar,"  said  Saleh. 
"  Come  farther  away  from  the  door,  both  of  you,  and 
I'll  tell  you  what  has  happened.  It  concerns  us  all." 
And  she  moved  toward  the  alcove,  beyond  earshot  of 
the  Portuguese  sentry  and  yet  within  his  view,  where 
Ellen  and  the  admiral  had  been  sitting  before  dinner. 

Saleh's  sole  scant  hope  of  escape  now  lay  in  enlist- 
ing the  Dona  Carmen's  sympathies  in  Eileen's  cause. 
And  the  Dona  Carmen  reassured  as  to  her  father's 
safety,  listened  willingly  to  all  she  had  to  say,  pieced 
that  together  in  her  own  mind  with  what  she  herself 
had  already  heard  from  Eileen,  and  was  quick  to 
promise  whatever  help  she  could  possibly  render.  She 
felt  that  her  father  would  surely  approve  of  her  doing 
so,  and  —  she  herself  had  a  gallant  lover.  She  was 
still  speaking,  in  low,  eager  tones,  when,  from  beyond 
the  verge  of  the  palm-grove  about  the  villa,  a  shot 
rang  out,  followed  by  another  and  then  another  and 
a  very  ragged  volley.  Eileen  started  nervously  but 
the  Dona  Carmen  slipped  a  comforting  arm  round 
her  waist. 

"  Fear  nothing,"  she  urged.  "  We  are  quite  safe 
within  these  walls.  It  is  merely  a  false  alarm." 

It  seemed  impossible,  in  the  luxurious  drawing- 
338 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

room  where  the  three  girls  in  their  pretty  gowns  were 
grouped  together  under  the  rose-light  of  a  shaded 
lamp,  that  the  atmosphere  about  them  could  be  sur- 
charged with  all  the  elements  of  battle,  murder  and 
sudden  death.  But  the  intermittent  crackle  of  rifle- 
fire  proved  that  the  first  shot  had  been  no  false  alarm, 
and,  presently,  they  heard  the  clatter  of  feet,  ap- 
proaching hastily,  on  the  paved  patio.  The  sentry  at 
the  door  called  a  gruff  challenge  in  Portuguese,  and 
was  answered  in  the  same  tongue,  by  the  petty  officer 
whom  the  admiral  had  sent  back  from  the  cellar  with 
a  few  men  to  accompany  Ulick  Scarlett. 

The  sentry  stood  aside,  at  the  petty  officer's  order, 
and  Ulick  looked  in  at  the  doorway. 

"  All's  well  now,"  he  cried  encouragingly  to  his 
sweetheart.  "  I'll  come  in  again  in  a  minute  or  two. 
Please  wait  here  till  then,  all  of  you."  And  he  ran 
on  toward  the  outer  gate,  bidding  the  sentry  also  fol- 
low him. 

Saleh  was  almost  tempted  to  take  advantage  of 
that  opportunity,  but  thought  it  more  prudent  to  wait, 
for  a  little  at  least,  to  hear  what  was  happening  out- 
side, before  making  any  move.  She  crossed  to  the 
doorway  and  watched  the  return  of  the  Portuguese 
sailors  from  their  posts  among  the  palms,  saw  them 
climbing  to  the  roof  to  take  position  behind  its  loop- 
holed  parapet,  and,  as  the  great  iron  outer  gates 
clanged  to  behind  the  last  of  them,  caught  sight  of 

339 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Ulick  Scarlett  directing  these  operations.  Soon  after 
that  he  came  back  to  the  drawing-room  to  give  them 
the  news  for  which  she  was  anxiously  waiting. 

"  Vidal  has  taken  advantage  of  your  father's  ab- 
sence from  the  capital  to  usurp  his  place,"  he  cried 
breathlessly  to  the  Dona  Carmen.  "  He's  brought 
a  strong  force  across  the  mountains  with  him  to  be- 
siege the  villa.  But  we're  all  right,  of  course:  the 
place  is  practically  impregnable,  and  the  Portu- 
guese admiral  is  working  with  us.  I  haven't  time 
to  explain  everything,  and  Sefior  Casado  wishes  you 
to  come  with  me  to  the  cellar." 

The  three  girls  exchanged  anxious  glances,  and 
then  the  Dona  Carmen  called  Ulick  back:  he  was  al- 
ready on  his  way  to  the  door.  Then,  taking  him  a  lit- 
tle apart,  she  told  him  in  a  few  words  Eileen's  story, 
poured  into  his  ear  an  appeal  so  pitiful  that  he,  for 
all  his  devotion  to  the  strict  letter  of  duty,  could  find 
no  argument  with  which  to  resist  it.  But  he  stood 
for  a  moment,  considering  it,  undecided,  biting  his 
lip.  He  had  learned  from  his  elder  brother  to  think 
for  himself,  and,  while  both  of  them  would  have 
spent  their  lives  ungrudgingly  for  the  man  from 
whom  they  held  their  commissions,  neither  would, 
even  at  his  command,  have  done  anything  inconsist- 
ent with  a  strict  personal  code  of  honor. 

In  this  case,  he  saw  no  good  reason  why  he  should 
not  please  his  sweetheart,  and  follow  his  own  incli- 

340 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

nation,  by  helping  the  young  American  girl  to  re- 
join her  friends,  to  escape  from  the  clutches  of  that 
ill-favored  trio  within  the  cellar.  It  scarcely  needed 
Saleh's  added  entreaty  to  help  him  to  the  decision 
that  he  could  do  so,  that,  if,  in  doing  so,  he  should 
incur  Casado's  displeasure,  he  would  willingly  con- 
front such  a  consequence. 

"Come  on!"  he  said  gladly,  "I'll  see  you 
through.  There's  not  a  moment  to  lose.  But  — 
wait  a  minute!  What's  that?  " 

He  warned  them  back  with  raised  hand  and  hur- 
ried away  again.  The  sounds  of  conflict  without 
had  suddenly  trebled  in  volume.  Wild  cries  came 
from  the  parapet  behind  which  the  Portuguese  sailors 
were  more  than  holding  their  own  against  the  be- 
siegers. 

A  trellis  served  him  for  ladder,  and,  reaching  the 
roof,  he  speedily  learned  what  had  happened.  A 
strong  landing-party  had  just  come  ashore  from  the 
Portuguese  fleet,  was  engaging  Vidal's  forces  on  that 
flank,  might  possibly  manage  to  fight  its  way  to  the 
villa.  He  slipped  to  the  ground  again,  and  called 
to  the  girls  in  the  drawing-room:  but  they  were  not 
there. 

"Ulick!"  cried  a  low  voice,  which  came  from 
across  the  fountain,  and,  turning  thankfully,  he  was 
aware  of  a  warm  white  shoulder  outlined  in  the  glow 
of  the  lamp-light  at  the  partly  opened  door  of  a 

34i 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

room  on  the  other  side  of  the  patio.  He  ran  toward 
this,  and  the  door  closed  to  a  narrow  crack.  "  Wait 
just  a  minute,"  begged  the  voice.  "  We  won't  be 
longer." 

And,  within  five  minutes,  during  which  he  paced 
impatiently  to  and  fro  on  the  flags,  the  light  inside 
was  extinguished,  and  three  figures  emerged,  their  gay 
evening  gowns  exchanged  for  dark  traveling  dresses. 

He  did  not  delay  to  commend  this  forethought, 
but  led  the  way  at  once  to  the  inner  patio.  At  the 
spot  where  she  had  first  set  foot  in  the  villa 
Saleh  stopped  and  whistled  softly.  Something  came 
slipping  down  from  above  through  the  shadows  there, 
and  she  grasped  with  eager  hands  the  rope-ladder 
by  means  of  which  she  had  descended  a  couple  of 
hours  before.  She  climbed  to  the  coping.  Eileen 
only  paused  to  throw  her  arms  round  the  Dona  Car- 
men's neck.  That  was  no  time  for  any  prolonged 
leave-taking. 

"  May  we  meet  again,  that  I  may  be  able  to  thank 
you  better,"  she  whispered  simply  and  followed  Saleh. 

The  ladder  was  quickly  withdrawn,  and  the  Dona 
Carmen  turned  to  the  young  man  beside  her,  with  a 
little  satisfied  sigh.  For  were  not  they  two  also  devo- 
tees of  that  very  inconstant  star  which  serves  the 
jack-o'-lantern  of  luck  for  light. 

"  I  wonder  if  you'd  do  as  much  for  me  as  some 
man  has  done  for  that  girl?  "  she  questioned,  and  he, 

342 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

hearing  the  tremor  in  her  voice,  took  her  into  his 
arms,  for  the  first  time,  kissed  her  full  on  the  lips, 
unresisting.  And  for  five  fleeting  minutes,  there  in 
the  shadow,  while  the  dim  red  moonlight  lay  ten- 
derly on  the  rose-pink  garden  before  them,  they  let 
time  drift,  stood  hand  in  hand,  forgot  all  the  rest  of 
the  world  for  each  other. 

On  the  flat  roof  above,  Saleh  found  Oswold  Inger- 
soll,  almost  consumed  with  that  gnawing,  anxious 
impatience  which  had  very  nearly  induced  him  to 
go  down  into  the  villa  himself  and  find  out  what  had 
delayed  her.  Only  his  promise  to  Tommy  Judson 
that  he  would  not  do  so  except  as  a  last  resort  had 
served  to  restrain  him  so  long. 

When  she  did  at  last  appear  she  moved  quickly 
to  one  side,  and  he  did  not  dare  to  ask  her  the  all- 
important  question,  but  lay  there  straining  his  eyes 
through  the  gloom  to  see  whether  anyone  would  fol- 
low her.  He  did  not  feel  sure  that  he  could  stand 
the  shock  of  a  further  disappointment.  And  when 
at  length  he  saw,  very  dimly,  Eileen's  white  face  com- 
ing upward,  he  lay  back  and  turned  his  head  away, 
choking  down  the  cry  that  had  all  but  escaped  his 
lips.  When  he  looked  round  again  she  was  stand- 
ing over  him,  helpless,  the  flush  of  the  moon  on  her 
features,  her  tremulous  lips  moving  mutely.  And  he, 
on  his  knees,  took  her  tenderly  into  his  arms. 

The  roof  of  the  building  enclosing  the  inner  patio 
343 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

was  isolated  from  that  overlooking  the  fore-court 
by  means  of  a  much  higher  parapet,  which  made  the 
rear  of  the  villa  a  small  fortress  in  itself,  defensible 
against  any  force  that  might  succeed  in  storming  the 
outer  stronghold.  Saleh  could  therefore  walk  freely 
over  to  that  side  abutting  on  the  ravine,  leaving  the 
other  two  to  follow  her  as  soon  as  they  should  be 
ready.  And  there,  attached  to  the  parapet,  she  found 
the  last  resort  she  had  planned  with  Tommy  against 
the  cutting  off  of  their  retreat,  a  stout  block  and 
tackle,  a  whip  by  means  of  which  they  might  at  least 
reach  the  ravine.  She  pulled  once  or  twice  at  the 
line,  and  an  answering  tug  told  her  all  was  ready. 

A  cautious,  impatient  whistle  brought  Eileen  and 
Ingersoll  to  her.  And  Eileen  was  sent  down  first, 
secured  in  a  loop  of  the  line,  lashed  fast,  shivering  a 
little,  perhaps,  as  she  swung  out  over  the  black  gulf 
below,  but  bravely  subduing  her  fears.  Ingersoll 
would  have  had  Saleh  go  next,  but  she  flatly  refused. 

"  It  wouldn't  be  fair  to  that  Scarlett  boy,"  she  in- 
sisted. "  He's  taken  a  heavy  risk  in  help  one 
of  us  to  get  away,  and,  if  I  went,  too,  the  Old  Man 
would  certainly  murder  him.  So,  I  told  him  I'd  go 
straight  back  to  the  cellar.  I'm  going  to  keep  my 
promise,  and  —  you've  got  to  look  after  that  girl. 
Don't  think  about  me  at  all  —  I'll  be  all  right :  and 
I'll  be  back  on  board  the  Calixte  before  you  are,  if 
you  don't  look  sharp  1" 

344 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

He  saw  that  she  was  not  to  be  moved  from  her 
purpose,  and  yet,  in  his  desire  to  serve  her,  lingered 
to  play  one  last,  unvalued  card. 

"  But  what  shall  I  say  to  Tommy  — "  he  was  be- 
ginning, when  she  cut  him  short. 

"  Anything  you  please  on  your  own  account.  On 
mine  I'll  say  all  there  is  to  be  said  myself." 

He  shook  hands  with  her,  and:  "  I'm  desperately 
sorry,  Saleh,"  said  he,  a  lump  in  his  throat.  Then  he 
set  one  foot  in  the  loop  and  was  lowered  away. 

As  soon  as  the  signal  came  back  that  he  was  safely 
landed  below,  Saleh  drew  the  rope  up,  coiled  it  care- 
fully under  the  parapet,  and  made  her  way  down  to 
the  cellar  alone,  her  radiant  eyes  overcast  and  som- 
ber. But  they  lighted  again,  with  their  old  gallant, 
reckless,  irresistible  light,  as  she  overheard  Captain 
Dove's  fierce  voice.  And  she  intervened  in  time, 
and  no  more,  to  save  Ulick  Scarlett  from  his  blind, 
furious  onslaught. 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  the  old  man  would 
have  sprung  at  her  instead.  But  his  long,  enforced 
sobriety  had  tamed  him  a  little,  rendered  him  a  little 
less  regardless  of  consequences.  He  calmed  down, 
contented  himself  with  watching  her  as  a  cat  does  a 
mouse,  while  she  stood  unconcernedly  waiting,  ap- 
parently without  interest  in  her  surroundings,  until 
the  last  of  the  bullion  boxes  should  have  been  de- 
spatched to  the  beach. 

345 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

These  had  been  set  down  at  one  side  for  the  mo- 
ment, and  Eustace  Gildersleeve,  utterly  worn,  had 
seated  himself  upon  them,  his  back  against  a  big  cask. 
Two  of  the  Portuguese  sailors  sprang  toward  them, 
but  he  still  sat  staring  fixedly  at  the  scene  before  him. 
One  clutched  at  his  arm  to  attract  his  attention,  and 
jumped  back  again  as  he  heeled  suddenly  over  and, 
falling,  face  downward  on  the  muddy  floor,  lay  there 
motionless. 

Jasper  Slyne  advanced,  and,  kneeling,  subjected 
him  to  a  hasty  but  no  less  conclusive  examination. 

"  Dead !  "  said  he,  looking  round.  "  Heart  fail- 
ure, no  doubt.  He  was  too  old,  anyhow." 

And,  as  he  dragged  the  lifeless  body  of  the  old 
financier  out  of  the  way,  the  men  once  more  sprang 
toward  the  boxes. 

Casado  had  sent  Ulick  Scarlett  back  to  bring  him 
word  of  the  battle  above  and  close  the  doors  behind 
him.  When  the  young  officer  reappeared  with  news 
that  it  was  still  raging  hotly,  the  last  of  the  gold  was 
gone. 

The  Portuguese  admiral,  pondering  deeply,  was 
not  sure  now  whether  he  should  withdraw  all  his  men 
at  once  and  desert  the  villa  —  since  by  doing  so  he 
might  embarrass  the  rescue-party  still  striving  to  get 
in  touch  with  him  —  or  get  away  with  his  booty  first 
and  then  recall  them.  He  recollected  that  the  launch 
must  by  now  be  very  heavily  laden  and  chose  the 

346 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

latter  alternative.  He  had  over  half  a  dozen  of  his 
own  sailors  with  him,  more  than  sufficient  to  make 
sure  that  the  ex-President  and  his  friends,  all  un- 
armed, would  behave  as  they  ought. 

He  blandly  took  over  again  the  ordering  of  affairs, 
and  Casado,  with  his  daughter  on  his  arm,  followed 
by  his  fellow-conspirators  —  all  except  Eustace  Gil- 
dersleeve,  left  lying  where  Slyne  had  laid  him  — 
and  Saleh  escorted  by  Ulick  Scarlett,  went  down  the 
underground  stairway  with  an  escort  of  loaded  rifles. 
The  admiral  himself  brought  up  the  rear,  and  found 
time  by  the  way  to  admire  the  care  with  which  Ca- 
sado had  constructed  the  secret  passage  to  the  land- 
ing-stage. 

They  found  the  launch  there,  and  all  was  quiet. 
The  boats  that  had  brought  the  rescue-party  ashore 
from  the  fleet  had  gone  farther  down  the  beach  to 
debark  their  force.  The  stout,  tubby  little  craft  lay 
very  low  in  the  water,  but,  luckily,  the  sea  was  still 
smooth  and  the  land-wind  light. 

"All  aboard!"  the  admiral  ordered  in  a  sharp 
whisper,  and,  at  the  word,  Ulick  Scarlett  left  Saleh's 
side,  and  sought  out  his  sweetheart  from  among  the 
other  shadows  shuffling  about  in  the  mirk  at  the  mouth 
of  the  deep  ravine. 

"Carmen!"  he  said  swiftly,  and  caught  at  her 
hand.  Her  father  lingered  a  little  —  he  liked  the 
young  man  well  enough  to  do  that. 

347 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  Carmen,  I  can't  come  with  you.  I  must  find 
Ludovic  and  warn  him  of  what's  happened.  You  un- 
derstand, don't  you,  dear?  I'll  follow  you,  and  — 
you'll  wait  for  me,  won't  you?  " 

She  did  understand,  and  had  nothing  to  urge 
against  his  determination,  although  it  was  like  to 
break  her  heart  that  they  should  part  thus,  under 
cover  of  night,  she  and  her  father  fugitives  from 
their  country.  She  threw  both  arms  round  his  neck, 
and  kissed  him  passionately. 

"  I'll  wait  for  you,  Ulick,"  she  promised, 
"and—" 

"  Come,  Carmen,"  said  Casado  imperatively,  and 
she  went,  weeping.  "  Creep  forward,"  he  com- 
manded, as  he  handed  her  into  the  launch,  "  and  lie 
down  there,  well  under  the  hood."  She  did  so,  and 
Saleh,  following,  slipped  a  comforting  hand  into 
one  of  hers.  Casado  seated  himself  contemplatively 
on  a  pile  of  boxes  behind  them.  Slyne  and  Captain 
Dove  stepped  on  board  abaft  of  the  smoke-stack,  and 
the  admiral  took  his  place  beside  the  man  at  the 
tiller. 

"  Easy  ahead,"  he  hissed.  "  Full  speed  as  soon 
as  she'll  stand  it.  And  then  make  her  travel  for  all 
she's  worth." 

The  squat  launch,  so  heavily  laden,  snorted  and 
puffed  valiantly,  but  did  not  at  once  gather  way,  and 
the  admiral  was  in  terror  lest  he  should  after  all  be 

348 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

caught  there,  as  in  a  trap,  by  any  of  the  enemy  who 
might  be  attracted  by  the  uproar. 

"  Get  the  sweeps  out  and  help  to  pole  her  off- 
shore, all  of  you,"  he  ordered  hoarsely,  and  all  save 
Casado  complied.  Captain  Dove  and  Slyne  were 
especially  active,  and  with  that  assistance  the  launch 
was  soon  moving  along  at  more  speed.  They  had 
almost  emerged  from  the  darkness  of  the  ravine, 
into  the  open  estuary  of  the  stream  flowing  through 
it,  when  from  the  bridge  behind  them,  a  voice  hailed 
peremptorily. 

"  Halt,  there !  "  it  shouted.  "  Reverse  your  en- 
gines and  come  back  to  shore  —  or  I'll  open  fire  on 
you,  from  a  hundred  rifles." 

And  another  voice  answered  it  from  below  —  an 
agonized  voice,  crying,  "  Don't  fire,  Ludovic.  For 
God's  sake,  don't  fire !  " 

So,  the  launch  continued  its  course,  and  still 
gathered  speed.  But,  in  the  interval  between  these 
two  voices,  quick  chaos  has  broken  out  on  board,  and, 
as  it  surged  forward  into  the  dim,  red  moonlight 
from  which  the  ravine  and  the  mountain-face  had  so 
far  sheltered  it,  those  on  shore  could  see  men  strug- 
gling fiercely  as  if  for  their  lives  on  the  uneven  foot- 
hold afforded  by  its  hastily  stacked  cargo.  Wild 
shrieks  and  imprecations  with  the  ceaseless  sounds 
of  strife  from  about  the  villa  combined  to  make 
an  inferno  of  the  hot,  sweltering  night,  and  the 

349 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

strange,  dull  sheen  of  the  haze  that  enshrouded  all 
only  heightened  the  ghastly  effect. 

The  admiral,  his  nerves  overstrung,  had  looked 
round  in  helpless  alarm  as  he  heard  the  first  hail,  and, 
at  that,  Captain  Dove  and  Slyne  and  Casado,  as 
one  man,  had  grasped  opportunity. 

The  Portuguese  sailors,  poling  along,  had  to  stand 
close  to  the  gunwale.  Casado  tripped  two  up,  and 
tossed  them  overside  without  even  rising  from  where 
he  was  seated.  Slyne  swept  the  legs  from  under  one 
and,  dropping  his  sweep,  sprang  at  another,  knocked 
him  also  overboard,  so  violently  that  he  himself  al- 
most followed.  But  he  recovered  his  footing  and  got 
into  grips  with  a  third  reaching  for  a  rifle.  Captain 
Dove  had  thrown  himself  on  the  admiral  and  the  man 
at  the  tiller,  holding  them  pinned  so  fast  together  with 
his  long,  gorilla-like  arms  that  their  most  desperate 
efforts  to  break  free  proved  futile,  and  the  boat  kept 
her  course  on  a  steady  helm. 

The  engineer  fired  at  him,  but  missed.  Slyne,  his 
eyes  ablaze,  picked  up  a  box  of  gold  and  brained  the 
man  with  it.  Casado  had  seized  a  rifle  and  shot  the 
stoker,  at  that  moment  drawing  trigger.  And  there 
remained  only  the  two  prisoners  in  the  stern-sheets. 
He  hurried  aft,  and  found  Slyne  already  assisting 
there. 

The  steersman  was  promptly  thrown  overboard, 
and  the  Portuguese  admiral,  moaning  grievously,  al- 

350 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

most  insane,  was  set  face  outward  over  the  transom, 
so  that  the  swirling  brine  the  propeller  kicked  up 
soaked  him  to  the  knees  of  his  gold-laced  breeches. 

Of  the  breathless,  triumphant  trio  holding  him 
there  no  one  had  a  word  to  say  to  him,  since  he  was 
no  longer  a  factor  in  their  affairs,  till,  presently,  Ca- 
sado  addressed  him  abruptly. 

"  The  water  shoals  at  the  point  there,"  said  the 
ex-President,  thrusting  a  hand  past  the  admiral's  head 
to  indicate  the  direction  clearly.  "  It's  only  a  few 
yards  away,  and  —  you  needn't  drown  if  you  like  to 
swim  for  it." 

The  other  two  let  go  at  a  sign  from  him,  and,  when 
the  admiral  came  to  the  surface  again,  speechless, 
spluttering,  he  had  no  recourse  but  to  follow  Casado's 
advice.  But  he  stopped  and  trod  water  for  long 
enough  to  shake  his  fist  slow  and  solemnly  at  the  three 
men  regarding  him  from  the  stern  of  the  receding 
steam-launch. 


351 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE   LANTERN   OF   LUCK 

FOR  the  first  time  in  his  life  Ulick  Scarlett  had 
disobeyed  the  lawful  command  of  his  superior 
officer.  His  brother  had  twice  ordered  him 
to  come  up  from  the  landing-stage  at  the  edge  of  the 
stream  to  the  bridge  that  carried  the  roadway 
across  the  ravine,  and  he  had  remained  where  he 
was,  motionless,  staring  fixedly,  fear-stricken,  at  the 
strange  happenings  on  the  launch.  And  there 
Colonel  Scarlett  found  him,  when  he  himself  de- 
scended, in  a  white  rage,  to  find  out  what  was  going 
on,  the  reason  for  that  agonized  appeal  that  had 
caused  him  to  hold  his  fire.  The  two  brothers  were 
on  most  brotherly  terms,  but  in  matters  official  their 
difference  of  rank  in  the  service  was  always  strictly  ob- 
served. 

Colonel  Scarlett,  scenting  something  wrong  at  the 
Casa  Rosada,  had  brought  half  his  men  on  patrol 
from  the  post  he  was  holding,  between  the  town  and 
the  villa.  He  knew  nothing  of  recent  happenings, 
and,  for  all  his  wrath,  his  first  quick  words  took  the 
shape  of  a  question. 

352 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"What  th'  devil's  the  matter?"  he  demanded, 
as  Ulick,  hearing  his  hasty  footsteps,  half-turned  to- 
ward him. 

"  Casado's  cleared  out,"  the  younger  man  an- 
swered hoarsely.  "  He's  gone  off  with  a  boat-load 
of  bullion,  and  taken  —  his  daughter  with  him.  It 
was  on  her  account  that  I  begged  you  not  to  fire. 
Vidal  has  been  proclaimed  at  the  capital.  He's  here 
with  a  heavy  force,  fighting  to  get  into  the  villa.  He 
doesn't  know  yet  that  Casado's  gone.  The  Portu- 
guese have  two  landing-parties  ashore.  One's  hold- 
ing the  villa  —  Casado  fixed  that  with  the  admiral  — 
and  the  other's  trying  to  join  it. 

"  Meantime  Casado's  thrown  the  admiral  over- 
board—  they  both  went  off  in  the  launch,  and  — 
there  the  beggar  is,  by  jove !  in  a  boiling  rage,  too, 
after  his  bath."  He  pointed  to  a  half-moon  curve 
of  the  beach  between  the  landing-stage  and  the  villa, 
where  a  long  sand-spit  pushed  seaward.  There  were 
three  or  four  dark  figures  dimly  visible  on  it,  and  an- 
other was  approaching  them,  seemingly  from  the 
ocean,  squattering  through  the  water  in  ludicrous 
haste,  swearing  hoarsely  in  Portuguese. 

Colonel  Scarlett  gave  vent  to  a  long,  low  whistle. 
He  was  no  longer  angry,  but  very  anxious  —  for 
Ulick,  his  younger  brother,  and  for  his  men.  When 
he  spoke  again  he  had  come  to  a  quick  decision. 

"  Both  our  commissions  are  canceled,"  he  said. 
353 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"If  we  are  unlucky  enough  to  fall  into  Vidal's  hands, 
we're  done  for:  he  doesn't  like  his  late  master's  life- 
guards. Ulick,  we've  got  to  get  out  of  this,  as  quick 
as  ever  we  can.  But  I  must  disperse  my  men  first  — 
Wait  here  for  five  minutes,  and  I'll  rejoin  you." 

He  was  off  again  without  more  words,  his  chief 
concern  for  the  safety  of  those  under  him.  The  ad- 
miral and  those  of  his  men  who  had  escaped  from 
the  launch  alive  had  disappeared  inland  from  the  heel 
of  the  spit.  Within  the  ravine  there  was  only  audi- 
ble, and  that  but  dully,  the  din  of  the  fight  in  the  dis- 
tance. The  Portuguese  were  apparently  not  to  be 
beaten  back,  and  Don  Enrique  Vidal  was  no  less  de- 
termined. Above  that  din  the  voice  of  a  girl  came 
softly  to  Ulick  Scarlett's  hearing.  And  it  had  spoken 
his  name. 

He  swung  about,  too  much  startled  to  answer  at 
once.  His  thoughts  had  been  wandering  elsewhere, 
in  spite  of  the  urgency  of  the  predicament  in  which 
his  brother  and  he  were  thus  fortuitously  involved, 
and  of  the  fact  that  they  would  not  easily  find  means 
of  escape  from  Nicazuela  at  such  short  notice. 

"Who's  that?"  he  demanded,  peering  at  a  gray 
shape  in  the  gloom,  and,  as  it  spoke  his  name  again, 
"  Is  —  It's  Miss  Saxilby!  "  said  he,  in  a  tone  of  the 
blankest  surprise. 

"  Yes,"  said  Eileen  shyly,  and  stopped  before  him. 
354 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  I've  been  in  hiding  a  little  behind  you  with  —  with 
my  friends,  waiting  for  the  launch  to  go.  We  came 
down  the  bed  of  the  stream,  you  know.  And  now 
we  want  to  get  on  to  the  place  where  a  boat  should 
be  waiting  us." 

"  It's  not  very  safe  along  the  beach,"  he  objected, 
"  or  anywhere  else  at  the  moment.  Where  d'you 
want  the  boat  to  take  you  ?  " 

"  Out  to  the  yacht,"  she  explained,  "  the  Calixte" 

"  To  the  yacht !  "  said  he  eagerly.  "  D'you  mean 
that  big  white  craft  that  went  westward  this  after- 
noon?" And,  as  she  nodded  assent,  "I  wonder," 
said  he,  "  if  you'd  care  to  do  me  a  good  turn  —  if 
you'd  take  my  brother  and  me  along?  It's  really 
rather  a  matter  of  life  and  death  to  us,  don't  you 
know,  because,  if  we're  caught  here  — " 

"  Oh,  how  can  you  talk  like  that!  "  she  broke  in, 
not  a  little  hurt  by  his  casual  manner  of  speech. 
"  Surely,  you  know  — " 

They  heard  the  click  of  boot-heels  on  the  shale 
behind  them  and  down  the  steep  bank  came  slipping 
another  shadow. 

"  I've  sent  the  men  off,"  it  said  breathlessly,  "  and 
now—  Hello!  Who's  this?" 

"  A  lady,  Ludovic,"  said  Ulick  Scarlett.  "  Miss 
Saxilby,  may  I  introduce  my  brother,  Sir  Ludovic 
Scarlett?" 

355 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

Eileen  could  almost  have  laughed  over  his  un- 
timely formality,  but  circumstances  were  not  condu- 
cive to  laughter,  and  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost. 

"  Oswold!  "  she  called  softly,  and  Ingersoll  came 
forward  at  once  from  behind  a  boulder  in  the  bed 
of  the  almost  dry  ravine  where  he  had  been  awaiting 
that  signal.  Tim  Finucane  and  a  deck-hand  from 
the  Calixte,  who  had  remained  on  shore  with  him 
when  the  fishing-boat  had  gone  back  to  the  yacht  with 
its  cargo,  came  close  at  his  heels.  And  a  few  hasty 
words  of  explanation  from  Eileen  sufficed  to  make 
everything  clear  to  him  and  the  Scarletts.  It  only 
remained  to  get  into  touch  with  the  boat  the  Calixte 
was  to  send  ashore  for  them. 

But  the  Portuguese  flag-ship's  search-light  still  lay 
athwart  the  villa,  most  inconveniently  for  both  of  the 
factions  still  fighting  there.  And  both  of  these 
forces  were  hostile  to  the  fugitives,  for,  while  Vidal 
would  have  shot  both  the  Scarletts  at  sight,  they  still 
wore  the  life-guards'  uniform  that  would  have  been 
in  equal  danger  from  the  Portuguese.  There 
seemed  to  be  nothing  for  it  but  to  stay  where  they 
were  in  the  meantime,  since  neither  Eileen  nor  Inger- 
soll would  for  a  moment  agree  to  the  brothers'  urgent 
suggestion  that  they  should  make  good  their  own  re- 
treat, leaving  them  to  fend  for  themselves. 

But  the  march  of  events  elsewhere  had  been  no 
less  rapid,  and  fortune  was  favoring  them.  The 

356 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

dripping  Portuguese  admiral  had  got  into  touch  with 
his  reinforcements,  and  soon  put  a  stop  to  the  futile 
righting.  He  offered  the  Sefior  Don  Enrique  Vidal 
no  immediate  explanation,  but  hinted  at  a  mutual  mis- 
apprehension of  facts,  and  gladly  surrendered  the 
villa  to  him  in  return  for  safe  passage  for  his  own 
force  to  their  boats.  What  he  desired  above  all  else 
was  to  get  back  to  his  fleet  and  hold  speech  with  those 
three  unspeakable  scoundrels  of  the  Olive  Branch. 

He  scourged  his  men  to  the  beach  with  the  wick- 
edest words  he  knew,  and,  leaving  a  boat  to  bring 
away  the  garrison  of  the  villa,  put  off  for  his  flag- 
ship with  the  flotilla  that  had  come  ashore  to  his 
help.  The  survivors  of  the  garrison  followed  him 
five  minutes  later,  and  the  new  President's  army 
swarmed  in  to  ransack  his  predecessor's  residence  to 
its  foundations. 

As  soon  as  the  last  of  the  Portuguese  boats  had 
put  off,  the  watchers  within  the  ravine  ventured  forth 
from  their  hiding-place,  and,  skirting  the  beach  with 
all  caution,  went  westward,  in  the  direction  of  Alta- 
mirano.  And,  in  the  creek  where  the  fishing- 
boat  had  lain  hidden,  they  found  the  Calixte's  boat 
awaiting  them,  the  two  men  who  had  brought  it 
ashore  in  a  fever  of  anxiety  over  their  long  delay. 

They  put  to  sea  no  less  speedily  than  had  the 
Portuguese,  and,  half  a  mile  outside,  riding  easily 
over  the  long,  smooth  swell,  picked  up  the  Calixte's 

357 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

single  flash  in  answer  to  the  signal  of  their  sailing- 
lantern. 

There  were  four  oars  at  work  and  they  steered 
always  westward,  farther  away  from  the  arc  of  the 
flag-ships  search-light.  But  that  precaution  proved 
needless,  for,  shortly  before  the  big  white  yacht  bore 
down  on  them  and  took  them  aboard,  there  occurred 
among  the  ships  in  the  roadstead  an  instantaneous 
change. 

The  wavering  of  the  search-light  first  drew  their 
attention  to  it,  and,  looking  over  their  quarter,  they 
saw  the  Olive  Branch  on  the  move. 

She  moved  quickly,  but  not  so  quickly  that  she 
could  altogether  escape  the  broadside  which  the 
guard-ship  lying  level  with  her  fired  ere  she  had 
forged  half  a  cable's  length  ahead.  And  the  search- 
light was  instantly  switched  upon  her.  The  boats 
from  the  shore  were  by  this  time  only  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  fleet. 

"  Casado  must  have  got  all  his  boxes  on  board  by 
now,"  said  Ulick  Scarlett,  in  a  most  unhappy  tone, 
"  and  he's  going  to  make  a  break  for  it.  D'  you 
think  the  Portuguese  gunners  are  likely  to  be  any 
good,  Ludovic?  " 

But  his  brother  did  not  reply;  for  the  Olive 
Branch  had,  no  less  suddenly,  retaliated  on  the  ag- 
gressor. From  her  stern-ports  spat  two  tongues  of 

358 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

flame:  a  double  concussion  shook  the  hot,  heavy  at- 
mosphere. And  she  was  well  under  weigh  now,  while 
the  admiral's  boats  had  still  a  short  distance  to 
travel. 

The  Calixte,  bearing  down  on  her  own  boat, 
showed  the  white  light  again,  and  the  rowers  lay  on 
their  oars  to  watch  the  short,  sharp  sea-fight  that  fol- 
lowed. The  Olive  Branch,  barking  viciously  back 
at  the  fleet,  had  got  perhaps  half  a  mile  of  a  start 
before  the  Portuguese  landing-parties  rejoined  their 
various  vessels  and  got  their  boats  swung.  But  half 
a  mile  is  no  great  grace  against  more  or  less  modern 
guns  and  such  odds  as  three  to  one.  The  three 
cruisers  slipped  their  cables  and  started  in  chase  of 
the  contumacious  tramp-freighter,  their  bow-guns 
belching  ceaselessly,  the  flag-ship's  search-light  point- 
ing a  long,  white  finger  toward  their  target. 

It  seems  scarcely  possible  that  they  could  miss  such 
a  mark,  and  Ulick  Scarlett's  agonized  face  showed 
what  he  thought  of  their  chances  as  one  report  fol- 
lowing another  told  of  shell  after  shell  shrieking  on 
its  mission  of  death.  The  Olive  Branch,  too,  seemed 
to  be  holding  its  ineffectual  fire. 

But  suddenly  two  more  sparks  showed  at  her  stern, 
and  no  less  suddenly  did  the  search-light  that  so 
endangered  her  die  into  darkness. 

"  By  gad!  "  said  Sir  Ludovic  Scarlett,  "  but  that's 
359 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

great  shooting.  And  they'll  probably  get  away  after 
all,  for  they  seem  to  have  the  heels  of  the  Portu- 
guese." 

After  that  they  saw  nothing  more  of  the  chase, 
since  the  Olive  Branch  was  showing  no  lights  at  all 
and  those  shining  from  the  open  ports  of  the  cruis- 
ers were  already  being  blotted  from  view  by  the 
blood-red  haze  that  was  growing  thicker  as  the 
moon  sank.  And  they  had  other  matters  to  occupy 
them,  for  the  scarred  white  chain-plates  of  the  Ca- 
lixte  had  loomed  up  out  of  the  darkness,  and  they 
could  hear  the  bridge-telegraph  ring,  in  instant  re- 
sponse to  Ingersoll's  shout  of  warning. 

They  climbed  on  board  one  by  one,  and  Tommy 
Judson  was  waiting  to  welcome  them.  Except  in 
the  engine-room,  where  Hitchcock  was  at  his  post, 
there  were  no  lamps  burning  and  the  decks  were  all 
in  darkness,  but  Eileen  could  almost  see  the  smile 
with  which  he  received  her. 

"  I've  made  good,  after  all,"  said  he,  in  a  glad 
voice,  "  haven't  I?  "  And  she  smiled  back  at  him, 
dumbly  grateful,  her  heart  so  full  that  speech  failed 
her. 

He  shook  hands  excitedly  with  Ulick  Scarlett,  and, 
as  Sir  Ludovic  reached  the  deck,  looked  over  the 
side,  expectant.  Tim  Finucane  came  next,  and  there 
only  remained  one  man  below,  who  led  the  boat 
away  from  the  gangway- foot  to  the  falls  dangling 

360 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

ready  to  be  hooked  on  to  her  under  a  pair  of  the  mid- 
ship davits.  As  soon  as  she  had  been  swung,  Quin- 
lan,  on  the  bridge,  rang  for  full  speed  ahead. 

"  Where's  Saleh  ?  Where's  Saleh  Harez  ?  "  asked 
Tommy  Judson  of  Ingersoll,  in  a  voice  that  it  was 
not  good  to  hear.  But  it  was  Eileen  who  answered 
him,  very  sorrowfully,  "  She's  gone  back  to  the  Olive 
Branch."  And  he  stumbled  suddenly  on  the  smooth 
deck  as  he  turned  toward  her. 

"Who's  Saleh  Harez?"  demanded  another 
voice,  that  of  a  man  roughly  touched  on  a  still  raw 
wound,  and  Tommy  stared  stupidly  at  the  shadow 
that  was  Sir  Ludovic  Scarlett,  which  had  asked, 
"Who's  Saleh  Harez?" 

But  for  a  time  no  one  spoke  again.  The  close, 
stifling  atmosphere  seemed  to  be  charged  with  the 
portent  of  some  dire  misadventure.  The  dull  an- 
dante of  the  screw-propeller  was  like  the  beat  of  a 
heavy  heart. 

"Why  did  she  go  back  to  the  Olive  Branch?" 
Tommy  Judson  asked  brokenly.  "  Why  did  you  let 
her  go?"  he  cried,  turning  to  Ingersoll.  "Surely 
you—" 

"  She  wouldn't  listen  to  me,"  his  friend  answered 
forlornly.  "  I  did  all  I  could  to  get  her  to  come  off 
with  us,  Tommy,  but — " 

Ulick  Scarlett  drew  Tommy  Judson  aside  and  held 
out  to  him  a  slip  of  white  paper.  "  She  told  me 

361 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

to  give  you  this  privately,"  he  said  in  a  whisper. 
"  Perhaps  it  will  clear  things  up."  And,  as  Tom- 
my, taking  it  from  him  without  a  word,  made  hastily 
toward  the  saloon-companion,  the  others  followed 
him  silently. 

He  struck  a  match  and  lit  a  single  candle  in  the 
saloon.  All  the  ports  had  been  carefully  screened, 
and  food  was  set  on  the  table  there.  Before  the 
others  had  reached  the  companion-foot  he  had  read 
the  hastily  penciled  message  Saleh  had  sent  him  and 
hidden  the  precious  scrap  of  paper  away. 

He  faced  his  friends  as  a  sick  man  might.  "  I'll 
take  the  bridge  for  a  bit,"  said  he.  "  I  can't  stand 
the  heat  down  here.  I  —  I  —  I  want  some  fresh 
air.  You  can  come  up  when  you're  ready,  O.  K. 
Have  some  supper  first,  and  —  and  don't  mind  me." 

He  bolted  on  deck  again,  and  Ingersoll  sighed. 
He  had  done  the  best  he  could  for  the  man  to  whom 
he  himself  owed  everything,  but,  at  that  moment, 
he  thought  he  might  perhaps  have  done  better  still. 
Eileen  slipped  a  hand  into  his  and  led  him  toward 
the  table.  At  a  sign  from  her  Ulick  Scarlett  also 
sat  down.  But  Sir  Ludovic  remained  standing. 

"  Who  is  Saleh  Harez  ?  "  he  asked  again  and  so 
urgently  that  Ingersoll  looked  up  in  astonishment. 
He  was  almost  worn  out,  too  weary  to  explain  any- 
thing. But  he  saw  that  Ulick  also  was  gazing  at 
him  with  a  tense  expectancy  which  showed  that  the 

362 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

question  was  one  of  serious  moment  to  them.  And 
so,  while  Eileen  listened  with  an  ever-growing  wonder 
in  her  clear  eyes,  he  told  them  as  much  of  Saleh's 
strange  history  as  he  had  heard  from  herself  on  board 
the  Calixte. 

The  two  brothers  heard  him  out  in  a  stricken  si- 
lence, and  then  Ulick  Scarlett  spoke. 

"  I  saw  her  twice,  Ludovic,"  he  said  in  a  hurtful 
whisper,  "  and  I  —  didn't  know." 

But  Sir  Ludovic  said  nothing  for  a  long  time.  He 
had  thrown  himself  into  a  chair.  His  face  had  sud- 
denly become  gray  and  drawn.  The  hand  he  had 
laid  on  the  table  was  clenched  and  white  about  the 
knuckles.  And  the  other  two,  not  knowing  what 
was  in  his  mind,  remained  speechless  also,  in  sympa- 
thy. 

"  It  wasn't  your  fault,  Ulick,  I'm  not  blaming  you ; 
I'm  to  blame  myself,"  he  said,  bowing  courteously  to 
Eileen  and  Ingersoll,  "  for  my  abruptness.  But  I 
feel  sure  you'll  pardon  me  when  I  tell  you  —  If 
you're  not  too  tired?  "  he  asked  of  Eileen. 

She  shook  her  head,  unable  to  speak  lest  her  voice 
should  betray  the  tears  in  her  heart;  for  his  tone  told 
of  a  bitterness  almost  more  deadly  than  death  itself. 
And,  after  another  long  interval,  he  spoke  again. 

"  We  Scarletts  are  Scots,"  he  said,  "  of  the  west- 
ern islands.  What  we  call  home  is  an  old,  gray, 
crumbling  house,  built  long  ago  by  one  Niall  Scar- 

363 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

lett,  on  a  bleak  rock  that  looks  across  the  open  At- 
lantic. And  —  there's  said  to  be  a  curse  hanging 
over  it,  called  down  on  Niall  and  his  descendants, 
by  a  wise  woman  —  a  witch,  you  know  —  whose 
hovel  he  razed  to  make  more  room  for  its  founda- 
tions. I  don't  know  —  it  would  seem  more  laugh- 
able to  me  if  I  hadn't  suffered  my  share  of  it. 
We're  Scots,  you  know,  and  —  superstitious,  perhaps. 
Anyhow,  Niall  Scarlett  was  killed  at  Culloden,  in 
1745,  fighting  for  a  lost  cause.  And  not  one  of  his 
descendants  but  has  shared  the  same  fate,  following 
some  will-o'-the-wisp,  just  as  the  wise  woman  said. 
Ulick  and  I  are  the  last  of  the  line,  penniless1  ad- 
venturers both. 

"  Our  father,  too,  was  a  soldier  in  foreign  service. 
Our  mother  died  while  we  were  in  England  at  school. 
She  died  of  hunger  and  thirst  in  a  fort  on  the  frontier 
where  my  father  held  his  command,  under  a  decay- 
ing power.  And  for  close  on  a  couple  of  years 
after  that,  he  fought  and  suffered  to  save  a  dynasty 
that  was  doomed.  In  the  end  he  was  brought  to  bay 
again,  behind  the  mud-walls  of  a  wretched  village. 
Where  he  and  the  handful  of  men  with  him  met  their 
death. 

"  We  learned  from  letters  which  reached  us  long 
afterward,  that  a  girl-child  had  been  born  to  him 
in  the  fort  where  our  mother  died.  He  had  never 
a  chance  to  send  it  south  for  safety.  But,  when  the 

364 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

village  where  he  had  made  his  last  stand  was  sacked 
and  burned,  it  was  spared,  for  the  sake  of  what  it 
would  fetch  from  the  next  traveling  trader. 

"  I  have  been  there  —  and  heard  all  there  was  to 
hear.  The  child,  our  little  sister,  was  sold  to  the 
first  caravan  that  came  along,  and  carried  off  —  God 
knows  where.  The  name  of  the  village  was  Saleh 
Harez.  It  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  Baluchistan." 

He  ceased,  for  his  voice  had  grown  harsh  and  un- 
steady. And  there  was  no  more  to  tell.  His 
brother  was  leaning  over  the  table,  face  hid  behind 
clenched  hands.  Ulick  Scarlett  knew  now  what  it 
was  that  had  so  perplexed  him  in  the  fair  features 
he  had  first  seen  at  his  post  on  the  road  below  Bella 
Vista.  And  Ingersoll  bitterly  regretted  that  he,  too, 
had  been  so  blindly  preoccupied  then.  He  rose  from 
his  seat,  and,  since  he  could  say  nothing  now  that 
might  help  them,  left  the  saloon  very  quietly,  taking 
Eileen  with  him.  He  knew  that  they  also  would  be 
best  alone  with  their  trouble  for  a  little  while. 

But,  before  Eileen  went  off  to  her  room  and  the 
sleep  she  needed  so  sorely,  he  had  found  means  to 
comfort  her  and  encourage  her  to  believe,  as  he  did, 
that  matters  might  still  be  mended.  So,  she  left 
him  at  last  with  a  smile  which  in  turn  heartened  him 
to  face  Tommy  Judson.  He  was  no  longer  drowsy, 
but  wide  awake. 

He  found  Tommy  pacing  the  bridge,  alone.  The 
365 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

lights  of  El  Puerto  were  no  more  now  than  so  many 
obscure  stars  on  the  horizon  astern.  Ahead,  the  sea 
was  dark  and  empty,  but  he  could  already  feel  the 
cool  breath  of  coming  dawn.  He  stopped  to  study 
the  chart,  took  a  long  look  at  the  binnacle,  and  then 
ventured  a  remark. 

"  I  did  my  best  for  you,  Tommy,"  he  said,  "  but 
she  wouldn't  listen  to  me." 

Tommy  Judson  stopped  before  him. 

"  It  was  my  own  fault,"  he  said  miserably.  "  I 
ought  —  I  ought  to  have  asked  her;  but  I  was  afraid. 
I'd  give  my  heart's  blood  to  lay  the  dust  for  her 
feet,  but  —  how  could  I  have  the  nerve  to  suppose 
she'd  ever  look  twice  at  an  ugly  devil  like  me  1 

"  And  she  was  mistaken,  too.  She  thought  .  .  ." 
He  faced  his  friend  frankly.  "  She  thought  I 
was  in  love  with  Eileen  myself  —  and  perhaps  I 
was.  I  don't  know.  But  whether  I  was  or  not, 
it  made  no  difference,  did  it?  I've  done  the  right 
thing  by  both  of  you,  haven't  I?  "  He  looked  anx- 
iously into  Ingersoll's  eyes,  and  his  own  cleared  a 
little  at  what  he  saw  there  as  Ingersoll  gripped  his 
hand. 

The  Calixte  reeled  off  mile  after  mile  of  the  miles 
that  lay  between  her  and  home  while  they  two  kept 
watch  there  together  and  talked,  as  men,  talk  some- 
times, but  very  seldom.  They  talked  of  the  unfor- 
gettable past,  and  the  still  precarious  present,  but 

366 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

chiefly  of  the  future  and  the  promise  it  held  for  both. 
And  out  of  the  horrors  they  had  endured  there  came 
back  to  them  by  degrees  as  they  talked,  that  tempered 
and  steadfast  courage  with  which  men  may  look  fate 
itself  in  the  face,  undismayed. 

'  The  world's  a  great  big,  extensive  place,"  said 
Tommy  Judson  at  last,  "  but  I'll  find  her  again." 
He  turned  to  Ingersoll,  but  Ingersoll  had  disap- 
peared into  the  wheel-house,  and  he  drew  carefully 
from  a  pocket  the  slip  of  paper  Saleh  had  sent  him. 
He  needed  no  light  now  to  assure  him  that  he  had 
read  its  message  aright :  *  You  love  one  who  loves 
another.  And  one  who  loves  you,  you  have  no  love 
for.' 

"  But  she's  wrong.  God  bless  her  brave  heart  and 
keep  her  safe  through  it  all !  "  he  whispered,  staring 
out  at  the  sea.  "  If  I  had  a  figurehead  worth  hav- 
ing, it  wouldn't  have  happened  so.  But,  just  as  soon 
as  I  find  her  again,  I'll  show  her  how  far  she's  wrong. 

"  Hitchcock  will  be  thinking  it's  high  time  he  was 
relieved,"  he  said  cheerily,  as  Ingersoll  reappeared. 
Day  was  breaking  out  of  the  dark,  amethystine  east. 
"  And  here  come  the  Scarletts.  But  I  won't  wait. 
You  tell  them  what  we've  planned  to  do,  and  " —  he 
pointed  to  the  single  star  of  the  morning,  shining 
sheerly  ahead,  that  which  had  lighted  them  on 
their  outward  way  from  New  York  —  "  and  show 
them  the  lantern  of  luck." 

367 


EPILOGUE 

CHEZ  MAXIM 

AiT  Maxim's  In  Paris  one  meets  —  among  other 
amusing   people   with   money  —  the   world 
and   his   wife   on    their   honeymoon.     Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Oswold  Ingersoll  were  to  dine  there  on  the 
last  evening  of  their  short  sojourn  in  Europe. 

Their  official  honeymoon  had  been  brief,  not  be- 
cause they  could  not  afford  to  prolong  it,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  because  the  cares  of  wealth  called  for  their 
presence  elsewhere.  They  had  started  off  from  New 
York  in  a  hurry,  leaving  behind  many  matters 
of  grave  importance  to  be  attended  to  promptly  on 
their  return.  Their  lawyers  had  almost  refused 
to  let  them  go  at  all,  but  Ingersoll  had  flatly  in- 
formed those  gentlemen  that  they  must  do  their  own 
work,  and  look  after  his  money  for  him  if  they  wanted 
any  of  it  for  themselves.  And,  as  Ingersoll  was 
once  more  a  client  well  worth  deferring  to,  they  had, 
however  reluctantly,  agreed  to  do  their  best  for  him 
and  themselves  in  his  absence. 

They  had  a  somewhat  tangled  skein  to  unravel 
368 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

for  him,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  matters  were  sim- 
plified by  the  fact  that  he  and  Eileen  were  now  hus- 
band and  wife.  They  had  already  recovered  for 
him  no  small  proportion  of  that  comfortable  fortune 
which  he  had  sacrificed  to  clear  the  name  of  Aylwin 
cj?  Ingersoll.  The  trust  securities  his  dead  partner 
was  said  to  have  made  away  with,  whose  value 
had  added  so  much  to  the  amount  of  his  self-imposed 
liabilities,  had  turned  out  to  be  part  of  that  estate 
which  Eustace  Gildersleeve  had  held  in  trust  for 
Eileen.  The  stolen  certificates  had  been  canceled 
upon  due  proof  of  the  trustee's  crime,  and  new  ones 
issued  at  once  to  their  rightful  owner.  Ingersoll's 
own  lawyer  had  luckily  held  over  for  a  night  the 
checks  his  client  had  drawn  in  favor  of  Gildersleeve 
and  Slyne  for  other  amounts  supposed  to  be  due  them 
by  the  derelict  firm,  and  that  precious  couple  had  per- 
force fled  the  country  before  they  could  lay  hands  on 
these. 

So,  with  the  boxes  of  bullion  stored  in  the  vaults 
of  a  New  York  bank  pending  partition  among 
the  ex-pirates  of  the  Calixte,  and  the  handsome  sal- 
vage that  the  relieved  underwriters  had  already  paid 
on  the  yacht,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oswold  Ingersoll  bade 
fair  to  be  better  off  in  the  end  than  they  had  been  in 
the  beginning.  They  were  not  in  any  way  worried 
as  to  their  future,  and  went  into  Maxim's  with  such 
glad  faces  that  even  the  blase  waiters  there,  well  used 

369 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

to  wealthy  young  honeymoon  couples,  turned  to  look 
a  second  time  at  them. 

But  it  was  not  their  worldly  circumstances,  al- 
though these  were  very  delightful  to  contemplate 
after  their  recent  experiences,  that  had  called  forth 
this  expression.  The  young  American  bride  blushed 
and  smiled  still  more  sweetly,  if  that  were  possible, 
as  three  men  approached  the  table  at  which  she  and 
her  husband  had  just  sat  down  —  for  she  and  her 
husband  had  bidden  Tommy  Judson  and  the  two 
Scarletts,  also  on  their  way  through  Paris  in  haste, 
to  dine  with  them  there:  the  first  dinner-party  they 
two  had  yet  undertaken. 

The  rest  of  the  room,  its  attention  attracted  by 
the  shout  of  welcome  with  which  Ingersoll  had 
sprung  from  his  seat  at  sight  of  his  friends,  looked 
on  with  smiling  approval  while  the  four  thin-faced, 
sun-tanned  men  and  the  one  pretty  girl  of  the  party 
exchanged  gay  congratulations  and  greetings.  The 
rest  of  the  room,  too,  knew  how  it  feels  to  be  back 
in  Paris  again  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  was 
a  little  sorry,  perhaps,  when  they  all  sat  down  and 
so  became  merged  in  the  crowd. 

"  Any  good  news,  Tommy?  "  asked  Eileen  Inger- 
soll eagerly  of  the  young  man  at  her  side,  and  her 
face  clouded  over  a  little  in  quick  sympathy  as  he 
shook  his  head. 

"  Not    a    scrap    yet,"    he.    Answered.     "  We've 
37Q 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

sought  everywhere  for  word  of  the  Olive  Branch, 
but  she  seems  to  have  disappeared  from  the  seven 
seas.  I'm  hoping  for  a  wire  to-night,  though,  from 
the  Portuguese  naval  administration  with  word  as 
to  what  report  of  his  fight  with  her  they've  had  from 
that  wild  Indian  who  was  in  command  of  the 
cruisers  we  met  down  in  Nicazuela.  I  told  the 
hotel-clerk  to  send  anything  that  arrives  for  me  along 
here." 

"  It'll  all  come  right  some  day  very  soon,"  she 
told  him  comfortingly,  and  he  nodded  with  calm 
assurance. 

"  I'm  not  giving  up,"  said  he,  "  before  we've 
even  begun  to  get  busy.  We're  starting  off  to-mor- 
row, Eileen  —  the  Scarletts  and  I,  with  Hitchcock 
and  Quinlan  and  Tim  Finucane.  If  the  six  of  us 
can't  find — " 

"  Mees-taire  Joodson  ?  "  interrupted  a  thin,  shrill 
voice,  and  he  turned,  to  find  at  his  elbow  an  under- 
sized boy  with  a  telegram.  He  took  it,  with  fingers 
that  trembled  in  spite  of  himself,  and  hurriedly 
ripped  the  envelope  open. 

"  Who  can  read  Portuguese  ? "  he  demanded, 
frowning  over  the  message,  and  thrust  it  into  Sir  Lu- 
dovic  Scarlett's  outstretched  hand. 

Sir  Ludovic  scanned  its  contents,  and  let  it  fall. 
He  lay  back  in  his  chair,  and  his  lips  moved  but  made 
no  sound.  The  others  leaned  forward,  waiting,  with 

37i 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

a  terrible,  strained  expectancy  in  their  faces,  till  he 
should  speak. 

He  sat  up,  slowly,  groped  for  the  message  again, 
and  perused  it  a  second  time. 

"  '  Fleet  commander  reports  Olive  Branch  sunk  at 
sea,'  "  he  translated  it,  in  a  difficult,  husky  whisper, 
and  stared  at  it  as  though  it  had  been  some  poisonous 
thing. 

A  man  at  the  table  adjoining  remarked  to  the 
maiden  with  him  that  there  seemed  to  be  bad  news 
in  the  air,  and  sent  out  in  haste  for  the  latest  evening 
paper.  Others  also  were  glancing  over  at  the  Amer- 
icans. Ulick  Scarlett  had  got  up  from  his  chair,  was 
standing  unsteadily  there,  one  hand  on  its  back.  He 
suddenly  started  across  the  room  at  a  rate  that 
caused  some  commotion  among  the  waiters  who  were 
in  his  way. 

"  Look !  Look !  "  urged  Eileen,  and  the  three 
men  remaining  turned  in  their  seats  to  look  open- 
mouthed  at  an  apparition  regarding  them  from  a 
little  distance  with  a  faint,  hesitant  smile. 

"  Casado  \  "  exclaimed  Sir  Ludovic  Scarlett,  still 
in  a  whisper,  and  scarcely  daring  to  credit  the  evi- 
dence of  his  own  eyes.  But  the  apparition  did  not 
melt  away,  as  he  had  half-expected  it  would,  when  his 
brother  approached  it.  And  neither  did  that  of  the 
Dona  Carmen,  become  visible  as  her  father,  having 
shaken  hands  with  the  hasty  young  man  who  had 

372 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

thus  claimed  his  acquaintance,  stepped  a  little  to  one 
side. 

But  for  Ulick's  precipitate  action,  indeed,  the  ex- 
President  would  probably  have  passed  on.  He 
could  not  be  certain  how  they  would  receive  him, 
and  had  no  intention  of  making  advances  which 
might,  and  not  unnaturally,  bring  him  a  public  re- 
buff. But,  when  Eileen  also  came  forward,  with 
shining  eyes  and  hands  held  out  to  his  daughter,  he 
felt  satisfied  that,  if  only  for  her  sake  and  Carmen's, 
he  need  fear  no  disconcerting  reference  to  the  past, 
might  safely  accept  her  eager  invitation  to  join  her 
party. 

She  came  back  across  the  room  on  his  arm,  and 
Ulick  Scarlett  escorted  the  Dona  Carmen,  meeting 
boldly  a  multitude  of  curious  and  admiring  glances. 
The  other  diners  also  had  been  much  interested  in 
the  encounter  of  that  distinguished-looking  quar- 
tette. 

Casado,  outwardly  casual,  indifferent,  a  little 
bored,  expressed  conventional  pleasure  over  the  in- 
troduction of  his  hostess's  husband  and  Tommy  Jud- 
son.  But  to  his  late  colonel  of  life-guards  he  merely 
bowed,  gravely  cordial,  without  offering  to  shake 
hands  —  lest  such  an  offer  might  not  meet  with  imme- 
diate response. 

Withal,  however,  and  taking  into  account  all  the 
strange  circumstances  that  had  combined  to  bring 

373 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

them  together  there  was  no  such  awkwardness  or 
constraint  as  might  have  been  expected.  He  had 
come  in  the  nick  of  time  to  contradict  conclusively 
that  untoward  telegram  from  Lisbon,  and  —  there 
was  so  much  more  he  might  be  able  to  tell  them. 
Fate  had  so  shuffled  the  cards  that  they  could  not 
but  be  grateful  for  his  company. 

And  he  seemed  to  harbor  no  arnere  pensee  as  to 
the  part  they  had  played  in  any  event  of  the  past. 
He  did  not  scruple  to  answer,  frankly  enough  and  as 
fast  as  he  could,  the  urgent  questions  they  had  to 
ask:  for  had  not  they  also  taken  the  law  into  their 
own  hands,  despoiled  him  as  unconcernedly  as  ever 
he  had  despoiled  anyone?  It  did  not  occur  to  him 
that  they  had  merely  recovered  what  was  their  own 
—  and  a  margin  to  meet  expenses.  But,  in  any  case, 
he  bore  them  no  grudge.  What  he  could  not  keep 
for  himself  he  would  yield  gracefully.  Lose  or  win, 
he  would  face  the  outcome  unmoved,  imperturbable. 
And  —  he  had  lost  very  little  in  comparison  with 
his  winnings. 

Eileen  was  in  close  confabulation  with  the  Dona 
Carmen  and  Ulick  Scarlett.  The  others  were  listen- 
ing intently  to  every  word  Casado  let  fall,  but,  of 
tacit  understanding,  they  kept  their  own  counsel  con- 
cerning the  real  object  of  their  indirect  inquiries. 

He  could  tell  them  nothing,  however,  as  to  the 
whereabouts  of  the  Olive  Branch:  except  that  she 

374 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

was  not  at  the  bottom  of  the  Carribean,  as  the  Port- 
uguese admiral  had  asserted  in  his  dispatches.  She 
had  landed  him  and  his  daughter  and  Mrs.  Manner- 
ing  one  dark  night  at  a  North  African  port,  and 
sailed  again,  before  dawn,  showing  no  lights,  for 
parts  unknown.  Eustace  Gildersleeve's  wretched 
sister  had  been  taken  in  charge  by  an  American  mis- 
sionary, pending  her  removal  to  an  asylum  in  her 
own  country.  While  the  ex-President,  with  his  daugh- 
ter, had  come  on  to  Paris,  incognito  and  by  easy 
stages. 

He  had  not  found  life  on  the  Olive  Branch  alto- 
gether an  empty  dream,  he  admitted  blandly.  Slyne 
and  Dove  were  a  couple  of  conscienceless  rascals,  but 
—  he  had  found  means  to  curb  their  exactions.  He 
did  not  apparently  think  it  worth  while  to  state  what 
these  means  had  been,  but  afterward  let  it  slip  that 
he  had  left  Captain  Dove  and  Slyne  on  the  right  road 
to  convalescence.  Reuben  Yoxall  had  been  very 
useful  to  him,  but  Jose  Maria  Moreno  had,  most  un- 
fortunately, seen  fit  to  jump  overboard  while  they 
had  been  under  fire  from  the  Portuguese  fleet. 

And  Saleh?  Ah!  was  there  ever  the  equal  of 
Saleh  ?  She  was  wonderful,  superb  —  a  girl 
among  millions !  The  ex-President,  hands  uplifted 
and  palms  turned  outward,  gave  rapturous  expres- 
sion to  the  esteem  with  which  Saleh  had  inspired 
him.  But  for  her,  it  appeared,  the  Dona  Carmen 

375 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

and  he  —  he  especially  —  would  have  fared  much 
worse  on  the  Olive  Branch  than  they  had.  He  did 
not  admit,  as  he  might  since  Saleh  had  told  him  so, 
that  she  had  befriended  him  and  his  daughter  because 
his  daughter  had  first  helped  her  at  a  pinch. 

He  was  still  holding  forth  in  her  praise  when  a 
stout,  shabby-looking  man,  very  much  out  of  place 
in  an  atmosphere  where  shabbiness  has  no  part,  came 
shuffling  across  the  crowded  room,  and,  ignoring  the 
frowns  of  the  waiters  hovering  near,  approached  the 
ex-President,  who  received  him  with  a  stony  stare. 

"  If  you  don't  go  away  at  once,  my  good  Waples," 
Casado  said  quietly  in  answer  to  a  low-toned  speech 
on  the  newcomer's  part,  "  I  shall  send  out  for  a 
gendarme  to  escort  you.  You  seem  to  think  you 
have  some  hold  over  me,  but,  believe  me,  once  and 
for  all,  you  have  none  whatever.  You  aren't  the 
sort  of  man  who  can  blackmail  me.  Listen!  If  I 
ever  see  you  or  hear  of  you  again,  you  shall  spend 
the  rest  of  your  life  in  an  English  prison.  You  know 
I  don't  use  idle  threats.  I  have  really  been  too  good 
to  you  in  the  past. 

"  Now  go  —  and  work  for  your  living,  as  I  have 
done." 

He  looked  across  at  Eileen,  his  hostess,  with  an 
apologetic  shrug  of  the  shoulders.  The  stout  man 
was  slinking  away,  cowed  for  the  time  being. 

"  One   of  my   former  parasites,"    he   explained, 
376 


THE  LANTERN  OF  LUCK 

"  who  has  waylaid  me  already,  forgetting  that  I  am 
no  longer  an  official  personage."  And  she,  catch- 
ing her  husband's  eye,  accepted  the  statement  for 
what  it  was  worth. 

Casado  picked  up  his  glass,  and  spoke  again,  medi- 
tatively. He  had  already  dismissed  from  his  mind 
the  incident  that  had  intervened. 

"  A  girl  among  millions,"  he  said.  "  And  — 
how  a  crown  would  become  her!  I  always  imagine 
her  so  —  among  drawn  swords  —  on  a  throne. 
Gentlemen  —  will  you  drink  with  me  to  the  hope 
that  she  may  some  day  meet  —  the  right  man  ?  " 

They  rose  to  their  feet,  every  one  of  them,  and  so, 
amid  the  stares  of  the  onlookers,  the  hope  that  was 
one  day  to  be  fulfilled  so  far  away,  was  toasted  at 
Maxim's,  in  Paris.  And  only  Casado  could  not  un- 
derstand why  all  the  others  had  first  clinked  glasses 
with  Tommy  Judson. 


THE   END 


377 


A    000127078     4 


